Seasonal variation in macro and micro mineral contents of browse plants consumed by ruminants in Namibia

The aim of this study was to assess the seasonal differences in mineral contents of plants often consumed by wild red deer located in a fenced game estate, south-eastern Spain. Forage plants were sampled throughout 1 year and analysed for macro and trace mineral concentrations. We also offered a cafeteria set of supplemented minerals to assess whether: (i) intake reflected seasonal reductions in plant content of specific minerals; or (ii) intake of mineral supplements responded to increased deer demand of minerals as a result of greater seasonal needs likely arising from lactation, antler growth or skeletal growth. Although no significant seasonal trend was found in mineral distributions of plants, our study suggested that concentrations of K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Cu and Zn were usually low in plants available to, and consumed by, deer in the study area. In addition, Cu concentration was marginally deficient when compared with the published requirements for other subspecies of red deer. The cafeteria study showed that free-ranging deer had a strong preference for sodium compounds and zinc sulfate, a much weaker attraction to calcium iodate, and no intake in calcium phosphates, Mg and Fe. Consumption of supplemented minerals by deer was maximum in spring and summer and moderate during autumn and winter. Rather than increasing intake of minerals in response to their content in plants, deer may be responding to increased metabolic requirements during antler growth, late gestation and early lactation. Supplementation of mineral compounds is recommended, particularly in the spring–summer period, when the physiological activity is high.

The relationship between transpiration ratio (R, ratio of water transpired to carbon fixed) or cabon isotopic discrimination (Δ) and leaf dry-matter mineral content (m) was examined within several C3 species including monocot and dicotyledonous species (Triticum aestivum, Hordeum spontaneum, Helianthus annuus and Nicotiana tabacum) and the C4 species, Sorghum bicolor. In all species, whether grown in the glasshouse or in the field, m was positively correlated to R; consistently, m was positively correlated to Δ in the C3 species, and negatively in sorghum. These genetic correlations between transpiration ratio and mineral content contrast with the absence of such a relationship when variations of R were environmentally induced by changes of atmospheric humidity or carbon dioxide concentration. In those circumstances, and consistent with earlier reports, ash content or its major constituents were remarkably stable and insensitive to a doubling or more of R. The genetic relationships shown in the present study are to some extent brought about by variations in assimilation and transpiration rates per se (i.e. passive mineral uptake), but the data indicate that they involve other quantitatively more important mechanisms, some of which may be related to the control of leaf water content. With the exception of Hordeum spontaneum, potassium was the element contributing the most to the relationship between R, or Δ, and mineral content. Depending on the species other elements showed a significant correlation with R or Δ. Further experiments are needed to unravel the nature of the genetic association between R and m. Meanwhile plant mineral content may be a useful criterion in selection programs to improve transpiration efficiency since its correlation with R was not much lower than that of carbon isotope discrimination.

Herbal medicines are considered an intricate and integral part of humankind's knowledge systems. Time has proven their efficacy and safety for both human and animal applications. Modern science, guided by indigenous knowledge systems can further optimize the use of various herbal products. To widen the current focus on herbal medicines, a study was carried-out to determine antioxidant properties, phytochemical and mineral contents of some medicinal plants used in ethnoveterinary practices in the management of animal wounds in Zimbabwe. The studied plants were Cissus quadrangularis L, Erythrina abyssinica Lam. ExDC. and Adenium multiflorum Klotzsch. Radical scavenging activities, antioxidant properties were determined using the DPPH and the β-carotene-linoleic acid model while the total phenolic content was determined using the Folin C method, flavonoid content using the aluminium assay and mineral content was investigated using the ICP-OES method. All extracts investigated exhibited radical scavenging activities and antioxidant properties, with C. quadrangularis leaf extracts exhibiting superior activities such as radical scavenging (EC50 of 21.04±3.00μg/ml) and antioxidant properties (ORR of 0.03±0.01). Variations were observed in the total phenolic, flavonoid and metal contents. C. quadrangularis leaf extracts exhibited highest amounts of total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The E. abyssinica (bark) and A. multiflorum extracts exhibited moderate (40–70%) affinity for protein binding while the rest of the extracts exhibited high affinity. Their antioxidant properties, phytochemical profile and mineral content justify applications in animal wound management and many other human and/or animal uses.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of nitrogen and zinc applied in different doses (0.0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 kg N/ha and 0.0 and 2.5 ppm Zn) to the soil sample taken from Erzurum Atatürk University Faculty of Agriculture Farm land on the dry matter content and mineral content of wheat and maize. It was carried out under greenhouse conditions in 96 pots (2 plants, 2 application methods, 4 nitrogen doses, 2 zinc doses and 3 replications). As a base fertilizer, it was applied to all pots before planting at doses of 1 kg P2O5/ha (TSP: 44.0% P2O5) and 1 kg K2O/ha (K2SO4: 50.0% K2O). Considering the applications, Urea and Zinc fertilizers were applied to the soil before planting in soil application, and from foliar application 5 times in every 2 weeks, starting one week after germination in foliar application. 90 days after sowing, the plants were harvested, dried, their dry weights were determined, the necessary analyzes were made and the plant mineral content was determined. According to the results obtained, nitrogen application from the soil was more effective, and the highest dry matter amount and plant height in both plants were obtained from the soil application of 1.5 kg N/ha urea and 2.5 ppm Zn. Depending on the applications, the dry matter increase is 77.5% in wheat and 80.4% in corn in application from soil. In foliar application, the dry matter increase is 11.4% in wheat and 30.6% in corn. A similar change has also emerged in plant height, the plants applied fertilizer from the soil are taller, with an average of 62.5 cm in wheat and 75.5 cm in maize. These values are on average 55.0 cm and 64.0 cm in plants applied foliar fertilizer. The mineral content of the plants applied foliar fertilizer is higher.

The issue of water scarcity in Pakistan is a significant challenge which is due to exacerbated population growth as well as increase in freshwater demand. The application of wastewater for irrigation, especially in semi-urban regions, can indeed be a practical solution due to its ready availability and affordability. While wastewater can serve as a valuable resource in water-scarce regions, its use must be carefully managed to minimize potential risks to plant health, soil fertility, and human well-being. A study was conducted aiming to assess the seasonal changes in physicochemical properties of irrigated wastewater and their influence on morphological, physiological and biochemical responses of sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). Sugarcane plants were grown for consecutive two years in peri-urban agricultural areas near the water channels. Sugarcane plants were grown in two different fields and irrigation of the crop was done with wastewater and freshwater, respectively. Water (wastewater and freshwater) and plant samples were collected four times in a year in different seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall) for two consecutive years (2016-2017). All the collected data had been subjected to multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for assessing the impact of seasonal variation on plant responses under the influence of irrigated wastewater. The findings from the study highlighted the complex relationship between wastewater irrigation and the physiological responses of sugarcane plants. The observed increase in antioxidant activities of wastewater irrigated plants compared to freshwater irrigated plants suggested that sugarcane may undergo biochemical adjustments to cope with the stress induced by the contaminants present in the wastewater. Moreover, the significant differences in plant mineral contents across different seasons were observed which indicated the dynamic nature of nutrient availability in the irrigation water and its impact on plant growth and development. We concluded that wastewater irrigation can affect the potential output of the agriculture sector by altering plant physiology which underscores the importance of considering the quality of irrigation water in agricultural practices. For future prospectives, the study can be extended to other crops to develop comprehensive strategies for sustainable agriculture.

The mineral composition of plant material has been studied in the Finnish and Norwegian IBP tundra projects (Sonesson et al., 1975). Some mineral analyses of tundra plants in USSR were given previously by Rodin and Bazilevich (1967), in subarctic Finland by Isotalo (1971), in Norway by Wielgolaski and Kjelvik (1973a) and Kjelvik and Wielgolaski (1974), in arctic Canada by Muc (1973) and Pakarinen and Vitt (1973), and in sub-arctic Canada by Scotter (1972). Generally, however, less is known of the mineral content of tundra plants than of agricultural plants (Lipman and Conybeare, 1936; Homb, 1952, and several more recent publications) and forest plants (Duvigneaud and Denayerde Smet, 1970; Cole et al, 1968; Rodin and Bazilevich, 1967).KeywordsBirch ForestGreen MaterialPleurozium SchreberiTundra PlantEutrophic SiteThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Monitoring of mineral and polyphenol content in olive leaves under drought conditions: Application chemometric techniques

The study was carried out in a greenhouse of at the Institute for Horticultural Sciences of the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Seven-months-old seedlings of salak cultivars “pondoh” from Indonesia were used for the study. At this age, plants are usually transferred from the nursery to the field in the growing region. An experimental block design was arranged for the study. A total of 48 experimental plants was separated into two blocks, namely shading (S) and non-shading (N). Three water supply treatments were assigned to each block. At the beginning of the study, the seedlings for N treatment were moved from shading to non-shading tables in the greenhouse. Three water supply treatments were assigned to each block. At the beginning of the study, the seedlings for N treatment were moved from shading to non-shading tables in the greenhouse. Two additional 400 W lamps (HQI-TS/D, OSRAM, Germany) were placed 2 m above the seedlings in the N treatment. Three watering treatments, applied to each block, were W1 (100 ml distilled water per plant every 2 days), W2 (100 ml per plant every 4 days) and W3 (100 ml per plant every 6 days). Therefore, the combinations of the treatments were SW1, SW2, SW3, NW1, NW2 and NW3. Responses to be analysed were shoot and root dry weight, increment of shoot length and leaf area, net CO2 assimilation rate (PN) and plant mineral contents, i.e. N, P, K, Ca and Mg. In addition, water content of the growing media was recorded. The study results showed that shading, which reduced sunlight by 70 %, was not beneficial for 7-months-old salak seedlings, due to lower growth rate, PN and N content as compared with plants in non-shading conditions. On the other hand, light intensities above 800 µmol m-2 s-1 (PAR) possibly cause leaf bleaching and should be avoided. Salak plants did not tolerate drought conditions. However, different water supply did not affect PN and mineral uptake (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) of salak plants.

A field study was undertaken to determine the response of Macroptilium atropurpureum cv. Siratro, Stylosanthes guianensis CM. Oxley and Aeschynomene falcata cv. Bargoo to lime P and K on an acid soil, very low in minerals. The trial extended over four seasons. Significant yield differences between species occurred in all seasons. Although the soil was very acid (c. pH 4,0 in KCI), neither P nor lime application had any significant effect an DM production. A potassium treatment, which was introduced in the last season of the trial, resulted in a significant increase in DM production. The average DM yields of Siratro, Oxley and Bargoo for the four seasons were 5 780, 5 510 and 4 410 kg ha−1, respectively. Analyses for P, K, Ca and Mg showed that plant mineral content was hardly influenced by lime and P applications. Significant differences in mineral content did, however, occur between species. It was concluded that Siratro, Oxley and Bargoo can be grown on soils of inherently low fertility and high acidity without much expenditure on soil amendments, and that these legumes contained sufficient minerals to meet ruminant nutritional requirements.

The influence of an additional supply of ammonium to a nitrate containing hydroponic solution on the mineral nutrition of greenhouse rose plants (Rosa hybrida cv. ‘Lambada’) has been investigated. The effect on NPK uptake, mineral contents in roots and leaves as well as nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities were examined. The addition of ammonium in a nutrient solution containing nitrate produced a total nitrogen uptake increase during shoot elongation, while in the absence of ammonium, nitrate uptake was lower during shoot elongation. Adding ammonium to the hydroponics solution caused an increase of potassium uptake while ammonium absorption was constant. Phosphate uptake was always higher in combined nitrate plus ammonium treatment, likewise in this treatment the most relevant effect on plant mineral content was the increase of P concentration in the roots. In both treatments with or without NH+4, free nitrate was notably higher in the roots than in leaves, indicating that nitrate reduction in rose plants takes place mainly in the leaves. NR activity in the leaves was higher when ammonium was present, whereas the root GS activity was similar in both treatments. The influence of ammonium on phosphate uptake and the subsequent effects on transport of other ions and enzymatic activities are discussed.

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of soil or foliage applied microplex fertilizer (5.4 %Mg, 4% Mn, 4% Fe, 1.5 % Cu, 1.5 % Zn, 0.5 % B, 0.1 % Mo and 0.05 % Co) on dry matter and mineral content of spinach and uptake of plant nutrients from soil. Dry matter content of spinach increased with microplex application. It had been higher in calcareous soils than less calcareous soils. Mineral matter content (N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) of plants increased depending on application doses. Mineral content of plants were higher in foliar application than that of soil application.

Causes for Seed Coat Browning of Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.) Inferred from Mineral Contents of Plants and Chemical Properties of Soils on Farmers' Fields

Research Article| March 01, 1949 FURTHER STUDIES IN BIOGEOCHEMISTRY HARRY V WARREN; HARRY V WARREN UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, VANCOUVER, CANADA. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar ROBERT E DELAVAULT ROBERT E DELAVAULT UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, VANCOUVER, CANADA. Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar GSA Bulletin (1949) 60 (3): 531–560. https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1949)60[531:FSIB]2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 26 Jan 1948 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation HARRY V WARREN, ROBERT E DELAVAULT; FURTHER STUDIES IN BIOGEOCHEMISTRY. GSA Bulletin 1949;; 60 (3): 531–560. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1949)60[531:FSIB]2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract Although previous work indicated that there may exist a striking relationship between the mineral content of plants and that of the underlying soils and rocks it was thought advisable to re-examine the problem, employing different collectors and analytical methods. Furthermore, if this work were ever to have an economic application, it would be necessary to develop simpler and more direct methods of collecting, sampling, and analyzing.This paper outlines some of the analytical methods employed and describes a dithi-zone method which seems eminently suitable for both copper and zinc analyses.Evidence shows that twigs, rather than leaves or needles or even fruit, are probably more satisfactory as indicators of variations in the metal content of soils and rocks. Twigs are easier to collect, to sample, and to ash; indeed, satisfactory results have been obtained from 1- and 2-gram samples. If the evidence is substantiated it may be possible to carry on biogeochemical prospecting in winter.Numerous analyses of samples from the Britannia and Sullivan mines are tabulated, and their significance is discussed. The results are compared with those obtained previously.In some areas the zinc-copper ratios may, in biogeochemical prospecting, be more significant than the absolute amounts of zinc and copper present in the trees and lesser plants, particularly when the absolute amounts of copper and zinc are low. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Access to adequate nutrition supports an animal's chance of survival and reproduction; thus, it is particularly important for threatened species. The nutritional quality of forage available to the critically endangered northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii; NHW) has not been assessed for two decades. The NHW Recovery Action Plan 2022 highlighted a need to investigate the effects of invasive buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) on the species' diet - reassessing the relative nutritional quality of highly abundant buffel grass will assist this investigation. This study assessed the nutritional composition of NHW food items, including buffel grass. Comparisons of the nutritional composition were made between two geographically distanced sites (both eucalyptus woodland and savannah with highly abundant buffel grass), seasons and plant genera. The nitrogen, gross energy, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre, ash and mineral content of plants and their relationship to scats, as faecal nitrogen is a good predictor of palatability of grass and nutritional status, were assessed. The nutritional content of plants varied significantly between sites, seasons and genera. Total forage nutritional quality was greatest during spring 2020 at Epping Forest National Park, during summer 2020/21 and autumn 2021 at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge and poorest during winter at both sites. Buffel grass may be a nutritionally valuable food item of the NHW during winter at both sites. There was no significant relationship between the N and gross energy in forage and scats. The findings of this study will inform management if there is a need to reduce invasive buffel grass, based on enhanced knowledge of the NHW nutritional requirements, by determining whether the species has access to suitable dietary items and meeting their nutritional requirements, particularly when forage quality is poorest or promotion of nutritionally valuable forage items is required. The study will also inform management of nutritional requirements at future translocation sites for the NHW.

The ethyl acetate extract of Cleistopholis patens was investigated for its antibacterial activity against ten bacterial strains and compared with standard antibiotics. The extract was purified and antibacterial activities were compared with the crude extract. The multiple antibiotic resistant (MAR) index was determined using known method. The phytochemical components were examined and the essential oil components were also investigated using the GC-MS spectra analysis. The antibacterial test revealed the plant to be active against the test organisms. However, the crude extract showed larger zones of inhibition compared to the purified extract. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index ranged between 0.42 and 1.0. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of glycosides, steroids, phenols and tannin. Mineral content of plants are Na (24.03%), K (30.14%), Ca (32.31%), Mg (26.09%), Zn (28.09%), Fe (6.70%) and Cu (0.03%). The GC-MS analysis showed the presence of essential oils predominantly fatty acids, sterols, esters, terpenes and alcohols with fatty acid occurring in abundance. The presence of essential oil in this plant could be responsible for its biological activities and the result of this work supports the use of the plant in the traditional medicine and herbal treatment of diseases.