EFFECTS OF FOLIAR AND SOIL CALCIUM APPLICATION ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF TABLE GRAPE CV. ‘THOMPSON SEEDLESS’

Table grape quality and firmness are key parameters for Chile's export, given distances from the main markets. As a consequence, calcium (Ca) fertilization has become a standard practice in the country, although its effects have not been fully evaluated. The objectives in this study were to investigate the effects of calcium fertilization on table grape nutrition and quality. A two-year field trial was conducted in central Chile, using grapevines (Vitis vinifera) cv. ‘Thompson seedless’, grown on an overhead trellis system. Calcium (CaCl₂) application treatments included foliar, soil, foliar plus soil, and a control without Ca fertilization. Calcium and other nutrients concentration were determined afterwards in soil, leaves, and berries. Also, yield and some fruit quality parameters were evaluated. Calcium application method did not have an effect on soil, leaf or fruit Ca content, neither on yield and berry sugar concentration, with levels being similar to the control treatment. Additionally, in treatments where CaCl₂ was applied to soil, chlorides concentration in soil, leaves, and berries were higher. Also, berries were larger, more turgent, with lower dry matter and larger cells. In the second season, in these same treatments, berry firmness at harvest was higher, but this effect disappeared after the storage simulation period. These results question the validity that Ca applications might improve table grape postharvest quality for growing conditions similar to the ones in this experiment. The temporal changes in berry quality parameters were attributed to higher Cl soil content and the associated plant osmoregulatory mechanisms.     

GENOTYPIC DIFFERENCES IN ROOT MORPHOLOGY AND PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE KINETICS IN BRASSICA NAPUS UNDER LOW PHOSPHORUS SUPPLY

Application of phosphorus (P) fertilizer is important in crop production because of the low bioavailability of phosphorus to plants in both acidic and calcareous soils. Although rapeseed (Brassica napus) is generally sensitive to P deficiency, different cultivars differ widely in this respect. Differences in P uptake and utilization between two rapeseed cultivars, one P-efficient (‘97081’) and one P-inefficient (‘97009’), were evaluated in solution culture by studying the changes in root morphology and parameters of P uptake kinetics in response to low-P stress. The P-efficient cultivar had lower Km and Cmin values and higher Vmax and developed longer and denser lateral root hair with greater number of root tips and branches under low-P stress, which resulted in a better developed root system and more efficient uptake of P. That, in turn, led to higher concentration and accumulation of P in the plants, culminating in higher biomass production. However, P utilization efficiency (biomass production per unit P accumulated in plant) of the P-efficient ‘97081’ was lower than that of ‘97009’ when P was deficient. These results suggest that P efficiency in rapeseed is due to a better developed root system as well as efficient uptake of P.     

NUTRIENT UPTAKE,PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES,AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) EXPOSED TO EARLY AND LATE DROUGHT STRESS

The response of different wheat cultivars to drought imposed after three and six weeks of seedling emergence was evaluated in the wire house. The seeds of recommended local wheat cultivars were sown in plastic pots. The drought stress decreased the water relation, nutrient uptake and grain yield of all the wheat cultivars. The early drought stress significantly reduced the nitrogen (N) uptake by 38% while late drought stress decreased nitrogen uptake by 46%. The phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) uptake were decreased by 49% and 37% under early drought stress, respectively while their uptake was decreased by 51% each under late drought stress. Grain yield was reduced by 24% under early drought stress while it was reduced by 60% under late drought stress. Water deficit at early growth stages reduced grain weight by 10% while it was reduced by 35% under water deficit at later stages of growth.     

EFFICACY OF GYPSUM AND MAGNESIUM SULFATE AS SOURCES OF SULFUR TO RAPESEED IN LATERITIC SOILS

A field experiment conducted on rapeseed (Brassica juncea L.) during 2005–2006 in a typical lateritic soil (Alfisol) of West Bengal, India revealed that sources of sulfur viz. gypsum and magnesium sulfate and levels of sulfur (0, 20, 40, 60 kg S ha^?1) have significant influence on grain yield, total biological yield, sulfur concentration in grain and stover, total sulfur uptake, oil content and oil yield and chlorophyll content. The maximum grain yield (18.28 q ha^?1) and oil yield (8.59 q ha^?1) was obtained with magnesium sulfate followed by gypsum yielded the grain yield of 17.99 q ha^?1 and oil yield of 8.22 q ha^?1 at 40 kg S ha^?1. Overall, the best performance was recorded when sulfur was applied at 40 kg S ha^?1 either as magnesium sulfate or gypsum. Results revealed that magnesium sulfate may be considered as the better source of sulfur than gypsum to raise the mustard crop in sulfur deficient acidic red and lateritic soils of West Bengal and if farmers apply either magnesium sulfate or gypsum to soils, the possible deficiency of sulfur and magnesium/calcium in soils and plants can be avoided.     

SUSTAINABLE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PACKAGE FOR COST-EFFECTIVE BIOENERGY BIOMASS PRODUCTION

Commercial fertilizer (particularly nitrogen) costs account for a substantial portion of the total production costs of cellulosic biomass and can be a major obstacle to biofuel production. In a series of greenhouse studies, we evaluated the feasibility of co-applying Gibberellins (GA) and reduced nitrogen (N) rates to produce a bioenergy crop less expensively. In a preliminary study, we determined the minimum combined application rates of GA and N required for efficient biomass (sweet sorghum, Sorghum bicolor) production. Co-application of 75 kg ha^?1 (one-half of the recommended N rate for sorghum) and a modest GA rate of 3 g ha^?1 optimized dry matter yield (DMY) and N and phosphorus (P) uptake efficiencies, resulting in a reduction of N and P leaching. Organic nutrient sources such as manures and biosolids can be substituted for commercial N fertilizers (and incidentally supply P) to further reduce the cost of nutrient supply for biomass production. Based on the results of the preliminary study, we conducted a second greenhouse study using sweet sorghum as a test bioenergy crop. We co-applied organic sources of N (manure and biosolids) at 75 and 150 kg PAN ha^?1 (representing 50 and 100% N rate respectively) with 3 g GA ha^?1. In each batch of experiment, the crop was grown for 8 wk on Immokalee fine sand of minimal native fertility. After harvest, sufficient water was applied to soil in each pot to yield ～1.5 L (～0.75 pore volume) of leachate, and analyzed for total N and soluble reactive P (SRP). The reduced (50%) N application rate, together with GA, optimized biomass production. Application of GA at 3 g ha^?1, and the organic sources of N at 50% of the recommended N rate, decreased nutrient cost of producing the bioenergy biomass by ～$375 ha^?1 (>90% of total nutrient cost), and could reduce offsite N and P losses from vulnerable soils.     

Zinc exposure has differential effects on uptake and metabolism of sulfur and nitrogen in Chinese cabbage

Zinc (Zn) is a plant nutrient; however, at elevated levels it rapidly becomes phytotoxic. In order to obtain insight into the physiological background of its toxicity, the impact of elevated Zn²⁺ concentrations (1 to 10 μM) in the root environment on physiological functioning of Chinese cabbage was studied. Exposure of Chinese cabbage (Brassica pekinensis) to elevated Zn²⁺ concentrations (≥ 5 μM) in the root environment resulted in leaf chlorosis and decreased biomass production. The Zn concentrations of the root and shoot increased with the Zn²⁺ concentration up to 68‐fold and 14‐fold, respectively, at 10 μM compared to the control. The concentrations of the other mineral nutrients of the shoot were hardly affected by elevated Zn²⁺ exposure, although in the root both the Cu and Fe concentrations were increased at ≥ 5 µM, whereas the Mn concentration was decreased and the Ca concentration strongly decreased at 10 µM Zn²⁺. The uptake and metabolism of sulfur and nitrogen were differentially affected at ≥ 5 µM Zn²⁺. Zn²⁺ exposure resulted in an increase of sulfate uptake and the activity of the sulfate transporters in the root, and in enhanced total sulfur concentration of the shoot, which could be ascribed partially to an accumulation of sulfate. Moreover, Zn²⁺ exposure resulted in an up to 6.5‐fold increase in water‐soluble non‐protein thiol (and cysteine) concentration of the root. However, nitrate uptake by the root and the nitrate and total nitrogen concentrations of the shoot were decreased upon Zn²⁺ exposure, demonstrating the absence of a mutual regulation of the uptake and metabolism of sulfur and nitrogen at toxic Zn levels. Evidently, elevated Zn²⁺ concentrations in the root environment did not only disturb the uptake, distribution and assimilation of sulfate, it also affected the uptake and metabolism of nitrate in Chinese cabbage.     

IMPACT OF SULFUR FERTILIZATION ON DIFFERENT FORMS AND BALANCE OF SOIL SULFUR AND THE NUTRITION OF WHEAT IN WHEAT-SOYBEAN CROPPING SEQUENCE IN TARAI SOIL

A field experiment was conducted at farmer's field in Mollisols of Tarai soils in Uttarakhand (India), to assess the direct and residual effect of sulfur fertilization in wheat-soybean cropping sequence. Four levels of sulfur (S; 0, 15, 30, and 45 kg ha^?1) were applied to main crop (wheat) along with recommended dose of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and potassium (K). The direct and residual effect of sulfur at highest level showed 27 and 6 percent increase in grain yield of wheat and soybean over control, respectively. The increase in grain yield of wheat was significant at each sulfur level. The direct as well as residual effect of sulfur showed significant increase in sulfur concentration and its uptake by grain and straw except increase in sulfur concentration and uptake by soybean straw. In wheat-soybean cropping sequence, the agronomic efficiency and apparent sulfur recovery decreased with increase in levels of sulfur, but the percent response increased with increasing sulfur application. Different forms of sulfur such as total sulfur, organic sulfur, calcium chloride extractable sulfur, potassium dihydrogen phosphate extractable sulfur, and non-sulfate sulfur in post-harvest soil increased according to sulfur level applied but it decreased under control and also after residual crops. The buildup of sulfur in surface soils was greater than in the deeper soils. Application of sulfur showed the positive sulfur balance and it increased with increase in sulfur level, while it was negative under control. A major portion (46–62%) of applied sulfur contributed to increase in sulfur content of root zone soil followed by unaccounted component (25–40%) and small portion (11–18%) was absorbed by wheat plant as uptake.     

Effect of Conditioning Zinc Sulfate Heptahydrate (ZnSHH) with Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Neem Oil on Growth,Productivity, Zinc Biofortification of Grain and Zinc Uptake by Basmati Rice

Commercial grade zinc (Zn) sulfate hepta hydrate (ZnSHH) is the most widely used source of Zn in India and several other countries for amelioration of Zn deficiency in crops. However, it releases water of hydration at temperature above 30°C and forms lumps on storage, which make it difficult to handle it and apply in fields. Therefore, conditioning of ZnSHH with ZnO and neem oil reduces the release of water of hydration and prevents lumps formation and can be well stored. Field experiments were conducted at the research farm of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India during rice growing seasons (July-November) of 2009 and 2010 to study the effect of conditioning ZnSHH with ZnO and neem oil on growth, productivity and Zn fortification of rice (Oryza sativa) grain and uptake by Basmati rice ‘Pusa 1121’. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with 3 replications comprised of 9 treatments of Zn fertilization. The present study shows that when conditioned with 2% ZnO and 4% neem oil ZnSHH improved yield attributes, grain and straw yields, Zn uptake and partial factor productivity (PFP), agronomic efficiency (AE), recovery efficiency (RE), and physiological efficiency (PE) of Zn in Basmati rice ‘Pusa 1121’. In general, ZnO was inferior to ZnSHH. Application of ZnSHH conditioned with 2% ZnO and 4% neem oil can be a better source of Zn for transplanted puddled Basmati rice on Zn deficient soils.     

AM真菌对田间山银花生长、矿质营养及绿原酸含量的影响

Lonicera confusa, a traditional Chinese medicine herb for treating cold, flu, acute fever, and so forth, is often grown artificially in acidic soils and suffers from phosphorus (P) deficiency. A five-year field experiment was carried out to study the colonization rate, growth, nutrition, and chlorogenic acid content of Lonicera confusa seedlings inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, Glomus etunicatum and Glomus intraradices. Before transplanting into a field, both AM-inoculated and uninoculated control plants were cultured in nursery beds. In the plants inoculated with the AM fungi, the colonization rate decreased linearly with time and a greater decrease was observed in the plants inoculated with G. intraradices than with G. etunicatum, while the AM colonization increased from 0% to 12.1% in the uninoculated control plants 5 years after transplanting. Plant height, crown diameter, number of new branches, and flower yield increased significantly by AM inoculation as compared to the uninoculated control. Phosphorus concentrations in leaves and flowers increased, and plant uptake of nutrients, e.g., nitrogen (N), P, and potassium (K), was also enhanced significantly by AM inoculation. The Lonicera confusa seedlings had a better response to inoculation of G. intraradices than G. etunicatum in both growth and chlorogenic acid content in flowers. In contrast, both plant P uptake and P concentrations in leaves and flowers were similar between two fungal inoculations. The positive responses of Lonicera confusa to AM inoculation in growth, nutrient uptake, flowering, and chlorogenic acid content in flowers suggested that AM inoculation in nursery beds could promote the plant growth and increase chlorogenic acid content in flowers of Lonicera confusa when grown on acidic and P-deficient soils.     

根表功能细菌生物膜及其在土壤有机污染控制与修复中的潜在应用价值

土壤中的有机污染物可从根系进入植物体内,并可进一步通过食物链富集,从而威胁人群健康。植物根际微生物种类繁多、数量巨大,其中很多根际细菌可通过成膜作用在植物根表形成细菌生物膜,协助植物抵抗外界的不良环境或促进植物生长。有机污染物在被植物根系吸收的过程中,多需经过根表细菌生物膜这一特殊界面。综述了根际细菌在植物根表的成膜作用,以及根表功能细菌生物膜对污染物根际环境过程的影响及作用机理,分析了利用根表功能细菌生物膜调控植物吸收有机污染物的可行性,试图为防治土壤有机污染、降低作物污染风险、保障农产品安全等提供理论依据。