Production protocol development for greenhouse cut Linaria, Lupinus, and Papaver flowers

Linaria maroccana Hook. f. Ann., ‘Lace Violet’, Lupinus hartwegii ssp. cruikshankii Lindl. ‘Sunrise’ and Papaver nudicaule L. ‘Meadow Pastels’ seeds were directly sown into 105 cell plug trays and received either ambient light or supplemental high intensity discharge (HID) lighting. For each species, a 2 × 3 × 3 factorial was used with two light intensities during propagation, three transplant stages, and three night temperatures. Seedlings were transplanted at the appearance of 2–3, 5–6, or 8–9 true leaves. Transplanted Linaria and Papaver seedlings were placed at 5/11, 10/16, or 15/21 ± 1 °C night/day temperatures and Lupinus seedlings were placed at 15/24, 18/25, or 20/26 ± 2 °C night/day temperatures. For this study, the optimum production temperature for Linaria was 10/16 °C as the cut stems produced at 15/21 °C were unmarketable and production time was excessively long at 5/11 °C. At 10/16 °C, Linaria seedlings should be transplanted at the 2–3 leaf stage to maximize stem number, stem length and profitability. For Lupinus the optimum temperature was 15/24 °C due to long stems and high profitability per plant. Lupinus seedlings should be transplanted at the 2–3 leaf stage when grown at 15/24 °C to obtain the longest and thickest stems; however, $/m² week was higher for plants transplanted at the 8–9 leaf stage due to less time in finishing production space. For Papaver, the 15/21 °C temperature was optimal as that temperature produced the longest stems in the shortest duration, resulting in the highest $/m² week. At 15/21 °C Papaver plants should be transplanted at the 2–3 leaf stage. Supplemental HID lighting had no effect on any of the species.     

Nitrogen conservation in soil and crop residues as affected by crop rotation and soil disturbance under Mediterranean conditions

We investigated conservation and cycling of N under oat–oat and lupine–oat rotations in disturbed and undisturbed soil, when roots or roots plus aboveground residues were retained. Crop residues were labelled with ¹⁵N in Year 1, and differential soil disturbance was imposed after harvest. In Year 2, plant growth, N transfer from residue into the various sinks of the second crop (plant, soil, and residual residues), and changes in microbial activity and numbers were determined. Oat biomass was greater after lupine than after oat due to differences in supply of N from these residues. Buried residues of both crops appeared to decompose faster than when left on the soil surface. Lupine residues decomposed faster than oat residues. Oat biomass was not affected by soil disturbance if grown after lupine but decreased when oat straw was buried in the soil. More residue N was recovered from soil than from the crop. Most ¹⁵N was recovered from disturbed soil, which also had greater dehydrogenase activity and more culturable fungi. At the end of the oat–oat rotation, 20 and 5 kg N ha⁻¹ were derived from the roots of the first crop in undisturbed or disturbed soil, respectively. Equivalent values for the lupine–oat rotation were 18 and 44 kg N ha⁻¹. Returning aboveground residues provided an extra 52–80 kg N ha⁻¹ for oat and 61–63 kg N ha⁻¹ for lupine relative to treatments where they were removed. Over a year, lupine contributed 9 to 20 kg N ha⁻¹ more to the agroecosystem than did oat.     

Effects of Culture Filtrates of Rhizobacteria Isolated from Wild Lupine on Germination,Growth, and Biological Nitrogen Fixation of Lupine Seedlings

Abstract

In order to select potential Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs), a selection of strains from the predominant genera in the rhizosphere of four lupine species, based on genetic divergence criteria, carried out in a previous study, yielded 11 Aureobacterium (Aur), four Cellulomonas (Cell), two Arthrobacter (Arth), two Pseudomonas (Ps), and six Bacillus (Bc) strains. Cell‐free culture filtrates of each bacterium were assayed for effects on germination, growth, and biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) of Lupinus albus L. cv. Multolupa seeds or seedlings. Four (Aur 6, Aur 9, Aur 11, and Cell 1) of the twenty‐five strains assayed promoted germination. Aureobacterium 6 and Aur 9 also increased root surface, total nitrogen content, and BNF. As a result of the screening, and considering all the variables studied, Aur 6 can be considered a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium and is suitable for further field trials in other plants and in different production systems.     

Lichtaufnahme und Stoffproduktion eines konventionellen und eines epigonalen Genotyps der Weißen Lupine (Lupinus albus)

Light interception and dry matter production of a conventional and an epigonal genotype of the white lupine ( Lupinus albus )
Yield formation of two white lupin ( Lupinus albus ) genotypes differing substantially in growth habit was investigated. Grain production was quantified as the product of harvest index and dry matter production, the latter being a function of light interception and utilization. Experimental data were obtained from two-year field experiments with a combined variation of plant density and distribution. The conventional, freely branching cultivar Kalina showed higher leaf area indices and growth rates than the "epigonal" (little branching) genotype. The higher growth rates of Kalina were partly due to increased light interception, but were mainly a result of a higher light use efficiency. This can be explained with a more even light distribution over a greater leaf area. The more rapid increase of the harvest index in the epigonal genotype compared to Kalina only partially compensated for the differences in dry matter production.     

Effectiveness of plant extracts on suppression of damping-off and wilt diseases of lupine (Lupinus termis Forsik)

The aim of this study was to evaluate water and organic solvent of plant extracts for protection of lupine plants against damping-off and wilt diseases caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lupini, F. oxysporum f. sp. lupini Snyder & Hansen was isolated from diseased lupine roots collected from different locations of Minia, Assiut and New Valley governorates. Water leaf extracts of Calotropis procera, Nerium oleander, Eugenia jambolana, Citrullus colocynthis, Ambrosia maritime, Acacia nilotica and Ocimum basilicum and fruit extracts of C. colocynthis, C. procera and E. jambolana reduced damping-off and wilt diseases caused by F. oxysporum f. sp. lupini. Water extracts of E. jambolana leaves, C. colocynthis fruits and N. oleander leaves were the most effective ones for controlling such diseases. In contrast, A. nilotica and O. basilicum extracts were the least effective ones. Organic solvent extracts of tested plants reduced damping-off and wilt diseases than water extracts. Butanolic and ethereal extracts were highly effective in reduction of diseases than the other tested extracts. Under field conditions, during winter growing seasons 2008/09 and 2009/10, ethereal and butanolic extracts of N. oleander and E. jambolana leaves and C. colocynthis fruits significantly reduced the percentage of wilt severity as well as improved growth parameters (plant height, number of branches, pods and seeds per plant) and increased seed index, total seed yield/hectare compared with control treatment, while protein content in seeds was not effected. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that some plant extracts can be used for biocontrol of lupine damping-off and wilt diseases.     

Physiological and Histological Studies on the Effect of Lupine Seeds on the Fish, Clarias lazera Treated with Glucose and Alloxan

Catfish Clarias lazera (C. gariepinus) was used to study the effect of aqueous lupine seed suspension (ALSS) (Lupinus termis) on normal or treated fish with alloxan or glucose after 5, 24 and 4 days. Injection of alloxan was followed by hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, and rise in serum levels of total free amino acids (TFAA), AST and ALT compared with control. In liver, alloxan significantly reduced glycogen and total lipid/triglyceride ratio, while it accumulated lipids and elevated AST and ALT compared with control values. Also, alloxan induced lipid and glycogen depletion in red and white muscles. However, all disturbances in these parameters were restored to normal after ALSS administration. In glucose-treated fish, ALSS significantly increased glycogen content in white and red muscles. Also, glucose plus ALSS treatment increased red muscle contents of TFAA, total lipids and triglycerides. ALSS treatment did not induce any histological changes in liver. Both glucose and alloxan treatments induced damage effect on liver besides, ultrastructural alterations in the liver were observed. Furthermore, histochemical observation revealed a high liver glycogen following repeated glucose doses, while liver glycogen was depleted in response to alloxan injection. Alloxan induced necrosis, mitochondrial damage, few ribosomes on the surface of rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) with disrupted cisternae in liver cells. Repeated doses of glucose injection for 4 days led to necrosis, clumps of rarefied cytoplasm as well as some cisternae of rER appeared to be devoid of ribosomes. However, most histological and ultrastructural changes in the liver were restored to normal after ALSS administration. In conclusion, it could be suggested that the lupine seeds have a protecting effect against both metabolic disturbances and damaging effect on liver cells in response to repeated doses of glucose or to alloxan treatments.     

Forderung der biologischen luftstickstoffbindung bei lupinen und serradella,ein beitrag für die ressourcensparende pflanzenernährung

Durch Saatgutinokulation mit selektierten leistungsfähigen Bradyrhizobium‐Bakterien wurde der Sproßtrockenmasse‐und Samenertrag von Lupinen und Serradella in Feld‐ und Großversuchen auf unterschiedlichen Standorten (lehmigem Sand und sandigem Lehm) ohne zusätzlichen Düngereinsatz in mehreren Jahren wiederholt erhöht. Die Inokulation war bei unterschiedlichen Sorten von gelben, weißen und blauen Lupinen und bei Leguminosengemenge in Frühjahrs‐und Sommeraussaaten wirksam. Sie wirkte sich auch positiv auf die Wurzelentwicklung aus.     

The protein quality of lupins (Lupinus mutabilis) alone and in combination with other protein sources

The chemical compositions, of raw and treated lupine flour were determined and compared with other plant protein sources. The protein content in the dry matter was 47.7% in untreated seeds ofLupinus mutabilis and about 56% in debittered seeds. The oil-cake contained 65.3% protein. The amino acid analysis showed that lupine protein is characterized by a low level of S-amino acids, the content of which amounts to only 50% of that of the FAO standard reference pattern. The protein quality was measured using the biological tests PER (Protein Efficiency Ratio), NPU (net protein utilization), and BV (biological value) in rats on diets with and without DL-methionine supplementation. PER determinations gave low values for the non-supplemented lupine proteins (1.34, semi-sweet variety; 1.53, water-extracted seeds; 1.19, oil-cake; 3.09, casein), but the PER's were improved by the addition of 0.2% DL-methionine to the diets (3.05, 2.69, 2.81, respectively). Raw as well as processed lupine protein showed an excellent apparent digestibility (80.0–85.8%; casein, 87.1%). The observed NPU and BV values confirmed the importance of methionine supplementation. The true digestibility of 92% was equivalent to that of casein. The complementation effects of mixing lupine protein with proteins from wheat, oat, barley, rice, maize, potato, quinua or fish were investigated by determination of the PER values of the respective mixtures. Feeding lupine protein with cereal proteins resulted in PER values that exceeded by far those of the proteins fed separately (true complementation). This result was not observed for the mixture of potato and lupine. High quality proteins like quinua and fish protein also showed no complementation effect with lupine protein but did improve the quality of the lupine protein to a great extent. The best results could be obtained with combinations of three different plant proteins, in which lupine protein always contributed one third of total protein. These mixtures resulted in PER values equal to those for casein or other animal proteins and may be applied as an economical way to prevent and combat malnutrition.