Bioavailability In Soil Research Articles

Efficiency and bioavailability of new synthetic strigolactone mimics with potential for sustainable agronomical applications

PurposeArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play important roles in agriculture because of their ability to improve plant resilience against abiotic and biotic stresses. AMF as a technology to promote a more sustainable agriculture holds great potential, yet many factors affect the efficiency of this plant-microbe symbiosis leading to inconsistency in performance. The beneficial symbiosis between plants and AM fungi, also-known-as the mycorrhiza is promoted by strigolactones (SLs), carotenoid derivatives active as phytohormones and rhizosphere signals. Natural SLs are effective at extremely low concentrations, however their bioavailability in soil is scarce because their biosynthesis and exudation are plant-regulated, their degradation is fast and their mobility in soil is limited.MethodsThrough a broad synthetic chemistry approach, we explored how structurally diverse SL derivatives could improve hyphal branching of Gigaspora spp AMF under laboratory conditions and thus possibly boost mycorrhization into soil.ResultsWe tested twenty-six different derivatives and we could highlight structural enhancements to promote hyphal branching of in vitro germinated AMF spores at equal, and in some cases higher levels compared to natural SLs. A subset of these derivatives was tested for bioavailability, but no clear correlation was found with their activity on hyphal branching.ConclusionThis study suggests that we could use a targeted, chemical-design approach to synthetize new SL derivatives to enable enhanced promotion of mycorrhization and potentially enhanced bioavailability compared to natural SLs. Due to the roles of AMF in crop production systems, these results highlight new innovative approaches to promote sustainable agriculture.

Saltwater intrusion affects nitrogen, phosphorus and iron transformations under oxic and anoxic conditions: an incubation experiment

Low-lying coastal ecosystems are rapidly salinizing due to sea level rise and associated saltwater intrusion (SWI). In agricultural soils, SWI can alter biogeochemical cycling of key nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and iron (Fe). The main objective of this study was to quantify the amount of nitrate–N (NO3–N), ammonium–N (NH4–N), soluble reactive P (SRP), and total dissolved iron (TDFe) released from agricultural soils undergoing SWI to determine their potential loss to downstream waterways. Agricultural soils were incubated for 0, 15, and 30 days (under oxic and anoxic conditions) with various salt solution combinations of sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), calcium sulfate (CaSO4), and Instant Ocean® to mimic (1) different ionic constituents of saltwater at different ionic strengths and (2) the presence or absence of gypsum, a soil amendment, through the addition of CaSO4. We also included a set of incubations treated with deionized water as a no ionic strength control (0.00 M). To increase statistical power, we grouped individual salt treatments based on our initial hypotheses at the end of the incubation period (day 30) to determine the effects of high (0.26–0.28 M) and low (0.03–0.04 M) ionic strength on inorganic N release and combinations of Ca and SO42− additions on SRP release to microcosm soil solution. Calcium additions decreased SRP release relative to saltwater that contained only NaCl additions under oxic and anoxic conditions. Additionally, high ionic strength treatments, which were about 7 times the ionic strength of low ionic strength treatments, released two times as much NH4–N to the soil solution, which suggests a non-linear relationship between ionic strength and NH4–N release. At day 30, anoxic microcosm soils treated with Instant Ocean® to simulate 15 parts per thousand seawater (ionic strength 0.26 M) released significantly more NH4–N (by 782 times), SRP (by 6 times), and TDFe (by 197 times) to the soil solution than oxic microcosm soils (P < 0.05). This treatment was designed to reflect a field inundated by brackish seawater for almost a month, which is representative of conditions on farm fields undergoing SWI. Under these anoxic conditions, as much as 22% of bioavailable soil P (as SRP) and 45% of total inorganic N (as NH4–N) could be released to overlying water when inundated with saltwater. Our work indicates that the influx of salts and inundation of SWI-affected farm fields could lead to a large export of N and P from agricultural soils and potentially affect downstream water quality.

Effects of Pseudomonas TCd-1 on rice (Oryza sativa) cadmium uptake, rhizosphere soils enzyme activities and cadmium bioavailability under cadmium contamination

Microbial remediation is a promising technique to reduce Cd accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa). In present study, a set of pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of Cd-tolerate Pseudomonas TCd-1 inoculation on rice Cd uptake, soil enzyme activities and Cd bioavailability in the rhizosphere soils under Cd contaminated conditions. The results showed that at the ripening stage, with the inoculation of TCd-1, Cd contents in root, culm, leaf, hull and brown rice significantly reduced by 60.7%, 47.7%, 50.6%, 58.1% and 47.9%, respectively, and the cadmium bioconcentration factor (BCF) of rice lowered by 66.2% under 5 mg kg−1 Cd treatment. At the meantime, in the rhizosphere soils, pH increased by 0.05, the contents of exchangeable Cd (EX-Cd) and Fe-Mn oxides (OX-Cd) increased by 107.8% and 33.5%, whereas organic matter (OM-Cd) and residual (Res-Cd) decreased by 31.9% and 60.0%, respectively. The activity of acid phosphatase (ACP) increased by 28.3%, catalase (CAT), saccharase (SUC) activity decreased by 28.5% and 26.0%. Similarly, the Cd contents in root, culm, leaf, hull and brown rice reduced by 42.1%, 42.5%, 58.0%, 50.3%, and 68.8%, respectively, and the BCF lowered by 57.1%, under 10 mg kg−1 Cd treatment. Simultaneously, the soil pH increased by 0.06, the activities of CAT, SUC, urease (URE), ACP decreased by 26.4%, 34.6%, 63.8% and 15.3%, respectively. Furthermore, the correlation analysis showed that the inoculation of TCd-1 changed the correlation between rice Cd content and the biomass of roots, leaves, soil pH, CAT, PPO, URE activities, OM-Cd in rhizosphere soils. It suggested that Pseudomonas TCd-1 effectively reduced Cd uptake and Cd accumulation in rice was closely linked to the changes of soil pH, enzyme activities and Cd availability.

Crop sulfur status in relation to soil sulfur determined using anion exchange membranes and Mehlich 3

The aim of this study was to find an indicator of plant sulfur status correlating most significantly with bioavailable sulfur in soil. The indicators of plant sulfur status in shoot biomass were: sulfur concentration, mass nitrogen to sulfur (N/S) ratio, mass phosphorus to sulfur ratio and sulfur nutrition index (SNI). The bioavailable soil sulfur was determined using water extraction (S-water), Mehlich 3 extractant (S-M3) and anion exchange membranes (S-AEMs). Results cover four years (2015–2018) of on-farm trials in the Czech Republic with winter wheat, winter oilseed rape and maize, and pot experiments including spring wheat and maize. Shoot biomass of plants was sampled at the beginning of stem elongation (winter wheat, winter rape and maize in on-farm trials), during rapid growth (maize in pot experiment) and during flowering (wheat plants, winter rape). Only soils containing 0.5%–1.7% of organic carbon were studied (median 1.31%). Compared to shoot N/S ratio, sulfur concentration in shoot biomass of maize correlated stronger with bioavailable soil sulfur. However, bioavailable sulfur in soil correlated strongest and most significantly with shoot N/S ratio of winter wheat and winter rape grown in on-farm trials. Except for winter rape grown on non-calcareous soils and maize grown in pot experiment, the shoot N/S ratio correlated more significantly with S-M3 compared to S-water and S-AEM.

Bacterial Endophytes of Spring Wheat Grains and the Potential to Acquire Fe, Cu, and Zn under Their Low Soil Bioavailability.

Simple SummaryUnmasking the overall endophytic bacteria communities from wheat grains may help to identify and describe the microbial colonization of bread and emmer varieties, their link to the bioactive compounds produced, and their possible role in mineral nutrition. The possibility of using microorganisms to improve the microelemental composition of grain is an important food security concern, as approximately one-third of the human population experiences latent starvation caused by Fe (anemia), Zn, or Cu deficiency. Four wheat varieties from T. aestivum L. and T. turgidum subsp. dicoccum were grown in field conditions with low bioavailability of microelements in the soil. Varietal differences in the yield, yield characteristics, and the grain micronutrient concentrations were compared with the endophytic bacteria isolated from the grains. Twelve different bacterial isolates were obtained that represented the genera Staphylococcus, Pantoea, Sphingobium, Bacillus, Kosakonia, and Micrococcus. All studied strains were able to synthesize indole-related compounds (IRCs) with phytohormonal activity. IRCs produced by the bacterial genera Pantoea spp. and Bacillus spp. isolated from high-yielding Oksamyt myronivs’kyi and Holikovs’ka grains may be considered as one of the determinants of the yield of wheat and its nutritional characteristics.Wheat grains are usually low in essential micronutrients. In resolving the problem of grain micronutritional quality, microbe-based technologies, including bacterial endophytes, seem to be promising. Thus, we aimed to (1) isolate and identify grain endophytic bacteria from selected spring wheat varieties (bread Oksamyt myronivs’kyi, Struna myronivs’ka, Dubravka, and emmer Holikovs’ka), which were all grown in field conditions with low bioavailability of microelements, and (2) evaluate the relationship between endophytes’ abilities to synthesize auxins and the concentration of Fe, Zn, and Cu in grains. The calculated biological accumulation factor (BAF) allowed for comparing the varietal ability to uptake and transport micronutrients to the grains. For the first time, bacterial endophytes were isolated from grains of emmer wheat T. turgidum subsp. dicoccum. Generally, the 12 different isolates identified in the four varieties belonged to the genera Staphylococcus, Pantoea, Sphingobium, Bacillus, Kosakonia, and Micrococcus (NCBI accession numbers: MT302194—MT302204, MT312840). All the studied strains were able to synthesize the indole-related compounds (IRCs; max: 16.57 µg∙mL−1) detected using the Salkowski reagent. The IRCs produced by the bacterial genera Pantoea spp. and Bacillus spp. isolated from high-yielding Oksamyt myronivs’kyi and Holikovs’ka grains may be considered as one of the determinants of the yield of wheat and its nutritional characteristics.

Cd immobilization and soil quality under Fe–modified biochar in weakly alkaline soil

Cost–effective and environment–friendly implementation techniques are critical to the success of remediation in large–scale cadmium (Cd) contaminated agricultural soil. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of Fe–modified biochar on Cd bioavailability in soils and uptake by maize (Zea mays L.), soil aggregate distribution and stability, and microbial community composition in weakly alkaline Cd–contaminated soil. Results showed that Fe–modified biochar optimized the structure and stability of soil aggregates. Moreover, the content of soil organic carbon increased by 6.59%–20.36% when compared with the control groups. However, DTPA–Cd concentration under the treatment of Fe–modified biochar was suffered by 37.74%–41.65% reduction in contrast with CK, and the significant decrease (P < 0.05) was obtained at 0.5% Fe–modified biochar. Moreover, sequential extraction procedures showed that the acid soluble and reducible states of Cd was converted into oxidizable and residual form. The addition of Fe–modified biochar inhibited Cd accumulation in maize, being 41.31%–76.64% (Zhengdan 958), 38.19%–70.95% (Liyu 86) and 52.30%–59.95% (Sanbei 218) reduction, respectively, in contrast with CK. The activity of catalase, urease and alkaline phosphatase in soil increased gradually with the addition of Fe–modified biochar. The enhancement in the number of soil bacterial OTUs and the values of Shannon, Chao1, ACE index indicated that Fe–modified biochar promoted the richness and diversity of bacterial communities. Therefore, the improvements of soil environment and biological quality indicated that Fe–modified biochar should be an alternative agent on remediation of Cd–contaminated soils.

Root exudates increase phosphorus availability in the tomato/potato onion intercropping system

Crop diversification usually increase nutrient use efficiency and productivity of crops, but we still lack deeper understandings of the underlying mechanisms. Here we aimed to study the role of root exudates and soil microbial communities in mobilization of soil P during an intercropping system. Different barrier treatments were used to separate tomato and potato onion, and different P forms, that makes most of the plant sparingly available P in the soil (i.e., Al-P, Fe-P, Ca-P, Organic P), were applied in a pot experiment. In addition, we studied the effects of monoculture and/or intercropped tomato root exudates in vitro on soil available P and soil microbial community composition using quantitative PCR and high throughput sequencing. Compared with solid barrier, the 30 μm barrier increased belowground tomato biomass in presence of Ca-P, O-P and no P, soil available P in presence of Al-P, Fe-P and Ca-P, increased abundance of Bacillus spp. in presence of Fe-P, Ca-P and O- P, Pseudomonas spp. in presence of all P forms, and Trichoderma spp. in presence of Al-P, Ca-P and O-P. Compared with control, in vitro root exudates of intercropped tomato activated all P forms examined in this study, and increased soil available P was positively correlated with abundances of Bacillus, Pseudomonas and Trichoderma spp., and relative abundances of Massilia and Planomicrobium. The bacterial community structure and diversity was altered in intercropped tomato root exudates treatment as compared to rest of the treatments. These findings suggest the key role of root exudates in increased bioavailability of soil P in the intercropping of tomato and potato onion.

Population structure and genome-wide association studies in bread wheat for phosphorus efficiency traits using 35 K Wheat Breeder’s Affymetrix array

Soil bioavailability of phosphorus (P) is a major concern for crop productivity worldwide. As phosphatic fertilizers are a non-renewable resource associated with economic and environmental issues so, the sustainable option is to develop P use efficient crop varieties. We phenotyped 82 diverse wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) accessions in soil and hydroponics at low and sufficient P. To identify the genic regions for P efficiency traits, the accessions were genotyped using the 35 K-SNP array and genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed. The high-quality SNPs across the genomes were evenly distributed with polymorphic information content values varying between 0.090 and 0.375. Structure analysis revealed three subpopulations (C1, C2, C3) and the phenotypic responses of these subpopulations were assessed for P efficiency traits. The C2 subpopulation showed the highest genetic variance and heritability values for numerous agronomically important traits as well as strong correlation under both P levels in soil and hydroponics. GWAS revealed 78 marker-trait associations (MTAs) but only 35 MTAs passed Bonferroni Correction. A total of 297 candidate genes were identified for these MTAs and their annotation suggested their involvement in several biological process. Out of 35, nine (9) MTAs were controlling polygenic trait (two controlling four traits, one controlling three traits and six controlling two traits). These multi-trait MTAs (each controlling two or more than two correlated traits) could be utilized for improving bread wheat to tolerate low P stress through marker-assisted selection (MAS).

Effects of Co-Applications of Biochar and Solid Digestate on Enzyme Activities and Heavy Metals Bioavailability in Cd-Polluted Greenhouse Soil

To deal with the problems of increasing the heavy metal (HM) bioavailability and declining the soil biological properties resulting from a direct application of solid digestate (SD). A low-temperature fruit biochar and pig-SD (BSD-0, BSD-1, BSD-2, BSD-4, BSD-8) co-application experiment was performed to evaluate enzyme activities and HM bioavailability in Cd-polluted greenhouse soil. The advantage of BSD co-applications compared to SD application was maintained the stable of pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in soil and was more effective to improve soil organic matter (OM). BSD-8 treatment significantly promoted the uptake of available nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium by plants. The immobilization effect of BSD co-applications on Cu, Zn, and Cd was better than SD application. BSD-8 treatment has the best immobilization effect on Cd and the contents of bioavailable Cd was 0.167 mg kg−1. The optimal enzyme activities of invertase, urease, and alkaline phosphatase were shown in BSD-8 treatment, which were 0.027 mg glucose g−1 soil h−1, 88.654 mg NH3-N g−1 soil h−1, and 15.766 μmol PNP g−1 soil h−1, respectively. The activities of enzymes also were influenced by soil physicochemical properties and HM bioavailability. BSD-8 treatment was suggested as an appropriate mixing proportion to alleviate soil acidification and salinization, decreasing HM bioavailability and stimulating enzyme activities in Cd-polluted soil.

Understanding the Opportunities to Mitigate Carryover of Imidazolinone Herbicides in Lowland Rice

(1) Background: The Clearfield™ system (CL) is currently the primary tool for selective weedy-rice management in irrigated rice. However, herbicide persistence in the soil may cause damage to successive crops. Thus, it is necessary to understand agricultural practices that can favor the dissipation of these herbicides. The objective of this study was to analyze the factors that affect the persistence of imidazolinones and to use this information to provide management strategies to mitigate carryover in lowland rice. (2) Methods: A literature review was performed, and the publications were selected using the soil half-life parameter. The data were summarized according to the biotic conditions, soil parameters, and environmental variables. (3) Results: Imidazolinone dissipation in soil occurs primarily through biodegradation. The herbicide biodegradation rate depends on environmental conditions such as temperature and bioavailability of the herbicide in the soil. Herbicide bioavailability is affected by soil conditions, with higher bioavailability in soil with higher pH, less clayey texture, moderate organic matter content, and higher soil moisture levels. Therefore, environmental conditions that favor biological activity, especially high temperatures, reduce the herbicide half-life in the soil. Strategies to mitigate carryover should focus on improving herbicide availability and enhancing biological activity in the soil, especially in the rice off-season, when low temperatures limit herbicide biodegradation. Cover and rotational crops, such as ryegrass and soybean, are recommended, with the potential to mitigate soil residues. (4) Conclusions: The establishment of crops other than rice would automatically enhance degradation rates as soil amendment practices such as pH correction and drainage practices would favor soil availability and biological activity.

Low nitrate alleviates iron deficiency by regulating iron homeostasis in apple.

Iron (Fe) is an essential element for plant growth, development and metabolism. Due to its lack of solubility and low bioavailability in soil, Fe levels are usually far below the optimum amount for most plants' growth and development. In apple production, excessive use of nitrogen fertilizer may cause iron chlorosis symptoms in the newly growing leaves, but the regulatory mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are unclear. In this study, low nitrate (NO3- , LN) application alleviated the symptoms of Fe deficiency and promoted lower rhizosphere pH, which was beneficial for root Fe acquisition. At the same time, LN treatment increased citrate and abscisic acid accumulation in roots, which promoted Fe transport from root to shoot and maintained Fe homeostasis. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis showed that nitrate application caused differential expression of genes related to Fe uptake and transport, as well as transcriptional regulators. In summary, our data reveal that low nitrate alleviated Fe deficiency through multiple pathways, demonstrating a new option for minimizing Fe deficiency by regulating the balance between nutrients.

The effects of vermicompost and shell powder addition on Cd bioavailability, enzyme activity and bacterial community in Cd-contaminated soil: A field study

Cadmium (Cd) contamination has become serious in soil and in situ stabilization technology has been widely used for heavy metal remediation. A field study was conducted to determine the effect of amendments with the doses of 3 kg/m2, including single vermicompost (A1), a 95% vermicompost mixed with 5% shell powder composite (A2) and a 95% vermicompost mixed with 5% modified shell powder composite (A3), on the Cd bioavailability, enzyme activity and bacterial community in soil, and the experiment was conducted with lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in a Cd-contaminated farmland soil. The results showed that the application of amendments increased the pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), organic matter (OM), available nutrients, catalase (S-CAT), invertase (S-SC) and urease (S-UE) activities in soil, while significantly reduced the Cd bioavailability with the lowest Cd bioavailability being observed in the soil with A3 application. The soil bacterial richness and diversity increased after amendments application, and the bacterial community was characterized by an increase in metal-tolerant bacteria but a decrease in Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes. In addition, the application of amendments significantly improved the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and inhibited Cd accumulation in its edible parts, especially, the Cd content in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in soil with A3 application was below the limit of the National Food Safety Standard of China (maximum level ≤ 0.2 mg/kg). Thus, composite amendment obtained from vermicompost mixed with modified shell powder can be used as potential remediation material in Cd-contaminated soil. CapsuleComposite amendment obtained from vermicompost and modified shell powder had good effects on remediation of Cd-contaminated soil.

Effect of water and fertilization management on Cd immobilization and bioavailability in Cd-polluted paddy soil

The field trial was conducted to investigate remediation effects of two alkaline fertilizers and three water management techniques on Cd contaminated paddy soil. The results revealed downward trend of soil pH and EC during growth period of rice. The treatment of organic fertilizer has indicated high pH and organic matter than treatment of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer. The integrated effect of organic fertilizer and continuous flooding (COF) has significantly (p < 0.05) reduced soil Eh to −180 mv at booting stage. The exchangeable Cd of soil decreased with growth of rice in all treatments. The continuous flooding has showed lowest content of soil exchangeable Cd at every stage of rice growth than other treatments. The organic fertilizer, calcium magnesium and phosphorus have promoted growth of rice. The treatments of continuous flooding were most effective in reducing Cd content in rice grain by 12.6–51.9%. The treatments of continuous flooding have lowest TFhusk-rice, and TFshoot-husk. The BCF of continuous flooding was 0.13, 0.35 and 0.13. According to Pearson correlation coefficients, soil exchangeable Cd concentration has significantly (P < 0.05) negative correlation with soil pH and EC, but has significantly (P < 0.05) positive correlation with soil Eh. The Cd concentration of rice grain has significantly (P < 0.05) positive correlation with Cd of leaf, and negative correlation with Cd of husk. It is concluded that organic fertilizer combined with continuous flooding was most effective management strategy for Cd remediation in paddy soil.

Soil Arsenic in Miami-Dade County

This new 6-page factsheet provides information about soil arsenic (As) in Miami-Dade County, including basics, background concentrations, cleanup guidelines of soil As, and bioavailability of soil As related to plant and human health. Written by Yuncong Li, Ashley Smyth, Jonathan Crane, Christopher Teaf, and Guangliang Liu, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Soil and Water Sciences.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss696

Effects of Biochar and AM Fungi on Growth, Mineral Elements and Cadmium Uptake of Mulberry under Cadmium Stress

In order to explore the synergistic effect of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on plant growth under cadmium (Cd) stress, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of biochar application and AM fungal inoculation on mulberry (Morus alba) seedling growth, mineral element absorption, Cd uptake, soil pH and Cd availability under Cd contamination at 2 levels (0 and 4 mg⋅kg−1). The results showed that biochar application could increase the mycorrhizal infection rate of AM fungi. Biochar application and AM fungal inoculation alone or their combination could all increase plant height, biomass, mineral element content and soil pH, while reduce Cd bioavailability in soil and Cd uptake by mulberry seedlings. The effects of biochar application in increasing soil pH and N and K uptake were better compared with AM fungal inoculation. However, AM fungal inoculation presented better effects in promoting mulberry seedling growth, improving P, Ca and Mg absorption by mulberry seedlings, and reducing Cd availability in soil and Cd absorption by mulberry seedlings. The combination of biochar application and AM fungal inoculation obtained the best effect. Under Cd level of 4 mg⋅kg−1, the combination of biochar application and AM fungal inoculation increased plant height and N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents in mulberry leaves by 43.28%, 125.56%, 178.48%, 3.63%, 181.04% and 128.04%, respectively. While, Cd concentration in the roots, stems and leaves of mulberry seedlings decreased by 46.48%, 67.86% and 58.97%, respectively. Moreover, pH increased by 5.33%, while Cd availability in soil decreased by 69.53%. In conclusion, biochar and AM fungi alone or their combination can all reduce Cd stress, and promote plant growth and mineral element absorption. The combination of biochar and AM fungi presents the best effect. Biochar combined with AM fungi can be used as an effective measure for ecological restoration of degraded soil and agricultural production safety.

Heavy Metals and Pesticides Toxicity in Agricultural Soil and Plants: Ecological Risks and Human Health Implications.

Environmental problems have always received immense attention from scientists. Toxicants pollution is a critical environmental concern that has posed serious threats to human health and agricultural production. Heavy metals and pesticides are top of the list of environmental toxicants endangering nature. This review focuses on the toxic effect of heavy metals (cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn)) and pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides) adversely influencing the agricultural ecosystem (plant and soil) and human health. Furthermore, heavy metals accumulation and pesticide residues in soils and plants have been discussed in detail. In addition, the characteristics of contaminated soil and plant physiological parameters have been reviewed. Moreover, human diseases caused by exposure to heavy metals and pesticides were also reported. The bioaccumulation, mechanism of action, and transmission pathways of both heavy metals and pesticides are emphasized. In addition, the bioavailability in soil and plant uptake of these contaminants has also been considered. Meanwhile, the synergistic and antagonistic interactions between heavy metals and pesticides and their combined toxic effects have been discussed. Previous relevant studies are included to cover all aspects of this review. The information in this review provides deep insights into the understanding of environmental toxicants and their hazardous effects.

Long-term cover crops improved soil phosphorus availability in a rain-fed apple orchard

The objective of this present study was to understand the distribution patterns of various forms of soil phosphorus (P) and the biotic and abiotic factors affecting the soil P fractions under long-term cover crops. Here, we investigated the characteristics of soil P forms, community structure of P-solubilizing bacteria (using 16S rRNA) and the related enzyme activity under clean tillage (CT), 14 years of white clover (WC, Trifolium repens L.) and orchard grass (OG, Dactylis glomerata L.) cover crops in a rain-fed apple orchard on the Weibei Loess Plateau, China. Relative to CT treatment, long-term cover crops enhanced the bioavailability of soil P by increasing the contents of total phosphorus (TP), microbial phosphorus (MBP), organic phosphorus (Po) and certain forms of inorganic phosphorus (e.g. Al-P, Ca2-P, Ca8-P and Fe-P) in the surface soil, in addition, WC treatment also increase the available P (AP) contents in the topsoil. A redundant analysis (RDA) showed that soil organic matter (SOM), NH4+-N and pH were the key environmental factors affecting the morphological changes of soil P. In addition, the effects of long-term cover crops on soil P forms were mainly concentrated in the topsoil, and the WC treatment had a greater impact on soil P composition than the OG treatment. Interestingly, long-term cover crops effectively increased the abundances of P-solubilizing bacteria, such as Streptomyces, Sphingomonas, Nocardioides and Haliangium, and enhanced the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Overall, long-term cover crops were an effective strategy to activate soil P as they improve the soil environment.

Immobilization of Cd, Pb and Zn through Organic Amendments in Wastewater Irrigated Soils

Due to the scarcity of water, raw sewage effluents are often used to irrigate arable suburban soils in developing countries, which causes soil contamination with toxic metals. Soil microorganisms involved in biochemical transformations are sensitive to heavy metals contamination. The study was designed to investigate the effect of organic amendments on the microbial activity of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) fractions and their bioavailability in soils contaminated with wastewater irrigation. Three metal contaminated soils under wastewater irrigation were collected, ground, sieved and added to incubation jars. Two organic amendments: wheat straw and chickpea straw, were applied (1% w/w) to the soil before incubation for 84 days at 25 °C. The CO2-C evolution after 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 14 days was measured and thereafter was also measured weekly. Soil samples collected at 0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 days after incubation were analyzed for microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Sequential extraction for metal fractionation of samples was carried out collected at 0, 28, 56 and 84 days. Three soils differed significantly in evolved MBC and ∑CO2-C. Chickpea straw addition significantly increased soil MBC as compared to the wheat straw. Organic amendments significantly increased ∑CO2-C evolution from the soils, which was higher from chickpea straw. The addition of crop residues did not affect total Pb, Cd and Zn contents in soils. The concentration of exchangeable, carbonate bound and residual fractions of Pb, Cd and Zn decreased (6–27%), while the organic matter bound fraction increased (4–75%) with straw addition. Overall, the organic amendments improved microbial activity and reduce the bioavailability of toxic metals in wastewater irrigated soils. Furthermore, organic amendments not only reduce economic losses as they are cheap to produce but also minimize human health risks from heavy metals by hindering their entry into the food chain.

Roles of Phosphate Solubilizing Microorganisms from Managing Soil Phosphorus Deficiency to Mediating Biogeochemical P Cycle.

Simple SummaryPhosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs), a large microflora that mediate bioavailable soil P, play a critical role in soil by mineralizing organic P, solubilizing inorganic P minerals, and storing large amounts of P in biomass. Given that the basic soil P forms and orthophosphate levels can be mediated by PSMs, we conclude that PSMs also play a critical role in the soil P cycle. The present review summarizes the comprehensive and recent understanding about the roles of PSMs in P geochemical processes. Phosphorus (P) is a vital element in biological molecules, and one of the main limiting elements for biomass production as plant-available P represents only a small fraction of total soil P. Increasing global food demand and modern agricultural consumption of P fertilizers could lead to excessive inputs of inorganic P in intensively managed croplands, consequently rising P losses and ongoing eutrophication of surface waters. Despite phosphate solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) are widely accepted as eco-friendly P fertilizers for increasing agricultural productivity, a comprehensive and deeper understanding of the role of PSMs in P geochemical processes for managing P deficiency has received inadequate attention. In this review, we summarize the basic P forms and their geochemical and biological cycles in soil systems, how PSMs mediate soil P biogeochemical cycles, and the metabolic and enzymatic mechanisms behind these processes. We also highlight the important roles of PSMs in the biogeochemical P cycle and provide perspectives on several environmental issues to prioritize in future PSM applications.

Gentamicin Adsorption onto Soil Particles Prevents Overall Short-Term Effects on the Soil Microbiome and Resistome.

Antibiotics used in agriculture may reach the environment and stimulate the development and dissemination of antibiotic resistance in the soil microbiome. However, the scope of this phenomenon and the link to soil properties needs to be elucidated. This study compared the short-term effects of a range of gentamicin concentrations on the microbiome and resistome of bacterial enrichments and microcosms of an agricultural soil using a metagenomic approach. Gentamicin impact on bacterial biomass was roughly estimated by the number of 16SrRNA gene copies. In addition, the soil microbiome and resistome response to gentamicin pollution was evaluated by 16SrRNA gene and metagenomic sequencing, respectively. Finally, gentamicin bioavailability in soil was determined. While gentamicin pollution at the scale of µg/g strongly influenced the bacterial communities in soil enrichments, concentrations up to 1 mg/g were strongly adsorbed onto soil particles and did not cause significant changes in the microbiome and resistome of soil microcosms. This study demonstrates the differences between the response of bacterial communities to antibiotic pollution in enriched media and in their environmental matrix, and exposes the limitations of culture-based studies in antibiotic-resistance surveillance. Furthermore, establishing links between the effects of antibiotic pollution and soil properties is needed.