Micronutrient Content Research Articles

SOIL MICRONUTRIENT CONTENT ANALYSIS AND MAPPING OF AGRICULTURAL SALT-AFFECTED SOILS AROUND ABAYA AND CHAMO LAKES, SOUTH ETHIOPIA RIFT VALLEY

<p><strong><span lang="EN-US">Background.</span></strong><span lang="EN-US"> Salt-affected soils cause a significant portion of land to become unproductive yearly; its impact is severe in sub-Saharan African nations, especially the arid and semiarid lowlands, and the Rift Valley regions of Ethiopia are typically host to naturally salt-affected areas. <strong>Objective.</strong> To analyze the micronutrient content and map the micronutrient fertility status of agricultural salt-affected soils around Abaya and Chamo Lakes South Ethiopia Rift Valley. <strong>Methodology.</strong> A systematic sampling technique was employed to obtain 300 soil samples for the investigation from two depths (0-20 and 20-40cm), with a 600m sampling interval, of which 30 were used. The research data was analyzed using the application of standardized analytical procedures for soil data and descriptive and geostatistical techniques. <strong>Results.</strong> According to the study, there is low zinc available in the soil but an ample amount of iron, manganese, and copper. In addition, the study's findings revealed that, whereas the remaining micronutrient regional variability is found at long distances, available iron exhibited a regional variation in soil quality at small distances. <strong>Implications.</strong> The study suggests applying organic matter for better soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability.</span><span lang="EN-US">Moreover, the results recommend that soils affected by salt might recover using various materials. <strong>Conclusions.</strong> In the study areas, zinc fertilizer may still be needed for an optimal yield even though the research area has low amounts of zinc fertilizer. The study concluded with management recommendations to minimize the adverse effects of very high micronutrient content on human health and plant growth.</span></p>

Influence of fertigation on soil-plant nutrition and crop productivity of shade grown Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora) in India

Coffee in Western Ghats grown under shade, soils are enriched with all the nutrients except phosphorus. The areas receive high rainfall, which leads to leaching loss and surface runoff of applied nutrients causing low fertilizer use efficiency. Improved agronomic practices are essential to address these issues. Fertigation is one such practice, having the potential to reduce extra chemical load by improving nutrient use efficiency. Hence, an attempt was made to study the impact of long-term fertigation on soil-plant nutrition and productivity of Robusta coffee. The trial was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with six treatments and four replications. Data on yield parameters and coffee yield indicated that significantly higher total number of nodes/branches, number of bearing nodes/branches, number of fruits/branches and coffee yield (49.1, 35.0, 758, and 2117 kg ha−1, respectively) were recorded in fertigation block supplied with 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) as water soluble fertilizer (WSF) which were statistically on par with 75% RDF (44.1, 29.4, 679, and 1821 kg ha−1, respectively). Similarly, higher major, secondary, and micro-nutrient content were noticed in leaf with fertigation at 75 and 100% RDF and also it was observed that, leaf Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) content played a highly significant role in increasing coffee yield. The study results revealed that the quantum of N, P, and K fertilizer requirement could be brought down to the tune of 25% through fertigation as compared to the conventional soil application.

Profile of mineral nutrients and proteins in soybean seeds (Glycine max (L.) Merrill): Insights from 95 varieties cultivated in Brazil

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) stands out as a major source of protein meal for human and animal nutrition. Nevertheless, the increase in soybean yield has been accompanied by a reduction in protein content over the last decades. In this study, we determined the profile of mineral nutrients and total protein in 95 soybean varieties broadly cultivated in Brazil, the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter, to identify a possible association between seed mineral and protein content. Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (EDXRF) was employed to determine the concentration of macro, i.e., potassium (K), phosphorus (P), sulphur (S), calcium (Ca), and micronutrients, i.e., iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu). The protein content of soybean seeds was evaluated using the Dumas method. The correlation and clustering between nutrients and proteins were determined using both univariate and multivariate non-parametric tests. Both protein and nutrient concentrations were not homogeneous across soybean seed varieties. It was also revealed that the higher the seed protein content, the higher the S, Mn, and Zn concentrations, whereas the opposite trend was observed for K and P. These results indicate an intricate association between S, Zn, Mn, and total protein content in soybean seeds.

Soil micronutrients (Zn and Fe) fractions and response of rice (Oryza Sativa) in different soil of Haryana under rice-wheat cropping system

The significance of zinc and iron in crop production, particularly in rice-wheat cropping systems, has been increasingly recognized. The present study aimed to determine the effect of different soil samples collected from the rice-wheat cropping system of Haryana with different soil texture on rice grain yield and micronutrient content using a greenhouse trial with four levels of Fe (0, 25, 50 mg kg−1 as soil and 0.5% foliar spray of FeSO4 at 45 DAS) and four levels of Zn (0, 5, 10 mg kg−1 as soil and 0.5% foliar spray of ZnSO4 at 35 DAS). This study discovered that rice grain yield showed a positive correlation with soil Zn and Fe concentrations in soil before sowing and a negative correlation with soil Fe and Zn concentrations in soil after crop harvesting. In most of the soils studied, foliar spray alone Fe @ 0.5% foliar (45 DAS) and Zn @ 0.5% foliar (35 DAS) improved Fe and Zn concentrations in rice significantly more than soil application of 25 mg Fe kg−1 and 5 mg Zn kg−1, respectively. The rice grain yield in clay soil was 14-42% higher than in sandy soil with different doses of Zn and Fe application. The order of preponderance of different Fe and Zn fractions were CA-Fe < OM-Fe < EX-Fe < FeMnOX-Fe < Res-Fe and Res-Zn > FeMnOX-Zn > OM-Zn > CA-Zn > Ex-Zn in the soils, respectively. Conclusively, concomitant consideration of grain yield and grain Zn and Fe concentrations of rice are the sustainable approach toward food targets achievement.

Groundnut (Arachis hypogeae L.) production, soil biological characteristics, micronutrient content in soil and plant parts, and their uptake are all influenced by phosphorus, AMF and PSB application

Field experiments during rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 were conducted to asses the groundnut production, soil biological characteristics, micronutrient content in soil and plant parts, and their uptake influenced by graded levels of phosphorus (15, 30, 45 and 60 kg ha−1), Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) and Phosphorus Solubilizing Bacteria (PSB) application in Alfisols at Botany farm, Dr. BSKKV, Dapoli in a factorial randomized block design with twenty treatment combinations which were replicated thrice. Results indicated that higher dose of phosphours (60 kg ha−1), biofertilizers (AMF + PSB @ 10 kg ha−1 each) and their interaction was found prominent in augmenting the highest bacterial, actinomycetes, fungal populations. Further, the combined application of phosphate and the AMF and PSB strain at higher level significantly improved the enzyme activities viz., dehydrogenase, urease, alkaline and acid phosphatase, CO2 evolution and SMBC compared to lower dose of phosphorus and non-inoculated treatment was on par with application of phosphorus @ 45 kg ha−1 with dual inoculation of AMF + PSB @ 10 kg ha−1 each. However, DTPA-extractable micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) status showed significant improvement because of various treatment combinations. Similarly, the application of phosphorus @ 60 kg ha−1 exhibited the highest uptake in edible portion of crops which was resulted in significantly highest pod yield (35.86 q ha−1) of groundnut which was at par with application of phosphorus @ 45 kg ha−1 (31.96 q ha−1) indicating beneficial effect for improving as well sustaining soil health in long term aspects.

Biofortifying drought-tolerant rice: enhancing growth and nutritional quality with foliar iron and zinc applications in Eastern India

Micronutrient deficiencies in staple food crops pose a significant global health concern, especially in regions prone to drought. Agronomic biofortification offers a promising solution by enhancing the content of essential micronutrients. This study aims to identify efficient rice varieties for iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) biofortification through foliar applications. A field experiment was carried out during kharif season in 2019 and 2020 with four drought-tolerant rice varieties (Swarna Shreya, Swarna Shakti Dhan, Sahbhagi Dhan, and DRR Dhan 42) were assessed under four foliar applications of Fe and Zn (control, 1% of Fe, 1% of Zn and combined 1% of Fe + 1% of Zn) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Patna. The highest grain yield of 5.65 t/ha was attained with the main plot treatment, Swarna Shreya variety, and in the subplot treatment, Fe + Zn foliar application resulted in a yield of 5.50 t/ha. The combined foliar application of Fe + Zn demonstrates the highest chlorophyll content and starch synthesis. Foliar application of combined Fe and Zn increased paddy grain Fe and Zn concentration by up to 30 and 16%, respectively, compared to the control. This finding is important for addressing micronutrient deficiencies in regions where rice is a dietary staple. Thus, Swarna Shreya, in combination with iron and zinc foliar application is a promising option for enhancing yield and fortifying grains in rainfed areas of eastern India.

The Effect of Soil Heterogeneity on the Content of Macronutrients and Micronutrients in the Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important legumes currently grown. It is an important source of proteins and nutrients, such as calcium, potassium and iron. As a result, precise crop management is necessary for maximizing its production. The presented study deals with the effect of soil heterogeneity caused by variable contents of macro- and micronutrients on the uptake of nutrients by chickpea. The values measured (contents of macro- and micronutrients in plant samples) indicate that soil heterogeneity is an important factor for the contents of nutrients and soil reactions, which strongly affect the growth of chickpea. We investigated the soil heterogeneity in a chickpea field. Two zones (A and B) with different stand development were found in the model plot. Zone A showed a healthy (green) growth, while Zone B exhibited a yellow-coloured growth, indicating deficits in nutrient uptake. The contents of selected nutrients (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn) in the soil and in the plant biomass (i.e., stems, leaves, pods and seeds) were analyzed. In the zone with the yellow-coloured biomass, the results showed significantly (p &lt; 0.05) reduced contents of N, P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn in the leaves; higher values of soil reaction (pH); and higher contents of calcium and calcium carbonate in the soil. The uptake of nutrients by the plants and their translocation were affected by the above-mentioned soil parameters and by their mutual interactions. Therefore, it is possible to state that soil heterogeneity (caused by variable contents of nutrients in soil) should be taken into account in the precise crop management of chickpeas.

Predictive Mapping of Soil Micronutrients Using Geographic Information System for Site Specific Management Interventions in a Semiarid Farm, India

Deficiency of soil micronutrients has an adverse impact on crop productivity in intensive agriculture. Plant availability, spatial pattern and distribution of soil micronutrients such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) content in surface soils were evaluated for an agricultural farm in semiarid region of India. Other soil properties viz. soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (SOC) content and equivalent calcium carbonate (CaCO3) content at the farm were also analysed to depict the soil chemical environment, controlling micronutrient availability. Plant available micronutrient contents within farm soils had very high data variability (coefficient of variation &gt;30%). Soil available micronutrients content were negatively correlated with soil pH and positively correlated with SOC content. As per semivariogram analysis, plant available Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu content within farm soils had moderate spatial dependency as indicated by nugget to sill ratio between 0.30 and 0.50 and had spatial parameter ranges of 404, 801, 954 and 1529 m, respectively. Prediction map of plant available Fe content by inverse distance weightage (IDW) method showed a few patches of iron deficiency (&lt; 4.50 mg kg-1) and a marginal level (4.50 - 9.00 mg kg-1). Spatial distribution map of plant available Zn content through lognormal ordinary kriging method indicated a patch of marginal Zn level (0.60 - 1.20 mg kg-1) within the farm soils. Farm scale spatial variability maps of plant available Mn and Cu content, generated by ordinary kriging method with good accuracy and effectiveness, indicated its adequate level with respect to crop nutrition. The spatial distribution maps of soil available micronutrients content for the farm could be served as reference for its precise and site specific management for intensive crop cultivation, higher productivity and profitability.

Growth and flowering of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) as affected by different concentrations of micronutrients and humic acid under naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions of Prayagraj

Growth and flowering of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) as affected by different concentrations of micronutrients and humic acid under naturally ventilated polyhouse conditions of Prayagraj

Iron biofortification in cereal crops: Recent progress and prospects

AbstractMicronutrient malnutrition is one of the major causes of human disorders in the developing world. Iron (Fe) is an important micronutrient due to its use in human metabolism such as immune system and energy production. Estimates indicate that above 30% of the global population is at risk of Fe deficiency, posing a particular threat to infants and pregnant women. Plants have adapted various strategies for uptake, transport, accumulation, and storage of Fe in tissues and organs which later can be consumed by humans. Biofortification refers to increase in micronutrient concentration in edible parts of plants and understanding the pathways for Fe accumulation in plants. Conventional plant breeding, transgenics, agronomic interventions, and microbe‐mediated biofortification are all potential methods to address Fe deficiency. This review article critically evaluates key aspects pertaining to Fe biofortification in cereal crops. It encompasses an in‐depth analysis of the holistic presence of Fe, its significance in both human and plant contexts, and the diverse strategies employed in Fe uptake, transport, accumulation, and storage in plant parts destined for human consumption. Additionally, the article explores the bioavailability of Fe and investigates strategies for biofortification, with a specific emphasis on both traditional methods and recent breakthroughs aimed at enhancing the Fe content in food crops. Keeping in view the significance of Fe for human life, appropriate biofortification strategies may serve better to eliminate hidden hunger rather than its artificial supplementation.

Genetic Biofortification of Winter Wheat with Selenium (Se).

Wheat is one of the three most important cereals in the world, along with rice and maize. It serves as the primary food and source of energy for about 30-40% of the world's population. However, the low levels of micronutrients in wheat grains can lead to deficiencies of those micronutrients in people whose dietary habits are mostly based on cereals such as wheat. Apart from iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), a lack of selenium (Se) is also one of the biggest problems in the world. The essentiality of Se has been confirmed for all animals and humans, and the lack of this micronutrient can cause serious health issues. Wheat dominates the world's cereal production, so it is one of the best plants for biofortification. Due to the fact that agronomic biofortification is not an economical or environmentally acceptable approach, genetic improvement of cereals such as wheat for the enhanced content of micronutrients in the grain represents the most efficient biofortification approach.

Effect of six rootstocks on leaf content of micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) in ‘Valencia’ orange trees under a calcareous soil

Effect of six rootstocks on leaf content of micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn, and Cu) in ‘Valencia’ orange trees under a calcareous soil

Effect of vitamins and zinc fortification on sensory properties and nutritional value in a functional biscuit

Abstract Biscuits are a popular baked food product known for their extended shelf life. Fortification with essential vitamins and minerals becomes imperative to enhance their nutritional values. This study aimed to enrich a functional biscuit with key nutrients, including vitamins C, D, and E, as well as the mineral zinc. A sensory parameter was examined by performing 9 point-hedonic scales for color, aroma, taste, and overall liking test, showing 1 as the lowest liking score, and 9 as the highest liking value. Proximate, vitamins and mineral analyses were performed to study the macro- and micronutrient content of the biscuits. The findings demonstrated that fortification with vitamins and minerals did not significantly alter the sensory attributes of the functional biscuit (P &gt;0.05). This study found that color, aroma, taste, and overall impression exhibited trivial variations (P &gt;0.05)) between the original and fortified biscuits, with scores of 5.55 vs. 5.50, 6.68 vs. 6.59, 6.09 vs. 5.95, and 6.18 vs. 6.00, respectively. Importantly, the study effectively increased the nutritional content of the biscuit through fortification per serving size of 35 g, 0.00 vs 2.36 mcg, 0.95 vs 5.84 mg, 0.00 vs 39.31 mg, and 0.90 vs 7.47 mg for vitamin C, D, E, and zinc, respectively. This study also showed the total energy, protein, carbohydrate, and fat content for each serving size of the original and fortified biscuits, resulting in 160.01 vs 161.92 kcal, 2.69 vs 2.67 g, 21.11 vs 21.70 g, and 7.20 vs 7.16 g, respectively. In conclusion, fortifying vitamins and zinc in the functional biscuit effectively heightened its nutritional profile of vitamins and minerals, while sensory properties remained largely unaffected.

Zinc phytotoxicity and cationic micronutrients contents in quinoa as influenced by high Zn levels and soil amendments

Contamination of soils with heavy metals (HMs) is a serious concern due to the non-biodegradability and accumulation of these metals in living organism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of fish scale powder, chitin, and chitosan in reducing zinc (Zn) accumulation of quinoa grown on Zn-polluted soil. A 3*4 factorial greenhouse trial was conducted with three levels of Zn contamination (0, 100, and 200 mg kg−1) and four types of amendment (control, and 0.15% of each fish scale powder, chitin, and chitosan). The quinoa seeds were sown in soil treated with Zn contamination and amendments. Results showed that application of amendments especially chitosan increased shoot and root dry weight and greenness index of quinoa leaf. While high soil Zn levels decreased cationic micronutrients uptake in quinoa shoot, chitosan addition desirably enhanced cationic micronutrients uptake in quinoa shoot. Overall, amendment addition significantly decreased Zn concentration and uptake in plant; the highest decrease was observed following the application of chitosan. Although the application of high Zn levels significantly increased the values of phytoextraction efficiency, application of chitin and chitosan significantly decreased it. The value of translocation factor was lower than one, demonstrating that a large amount of Zn was stabilized in the root tissues, while a small amount of this metal was transferred to aboveground parts of quinoa. Results of this study revealed that fish scales derivatives were effective in preventing Zn toxicity and at the same time increasing cationic micronutrients contents of quinoa grown on HMs-polluted soil.

FORECASTING THE MICRONUTRIENT CONTENTS IN FETUSES OF DOWN CALVERS

It is believed that the level of nutrition and maternal tissue depots determine the intrauterine supply of micronutrients necessary for the normal formation and development of fetuses in large cattle. Disturbances in micronutrient nutrition negatively affect the fetus's health and, after birth, limit its growth and predispose it to a range of somatic diseases. Therefore, forecasting and timely correction of micronutrient deficiencies in the fetuses of large cattle is important in veterinary science. In this study, the authors attempted for the first time to forecast the accumulation levels of Se, Cu, Zn, Fe, Cr, Sr, Mo, Co, Ni, As, and Mn in a fetus's body based on these micronutrient contents in the mother's hair 60 days before the expected calving. Thirty-five clinically healthy Simmental cows with singleton pregnancies were examined, and calves were obtained from them (18 males and 17 females). Hair samples obtained from the calves shortly after birth were analyzed for a retrospective assessment of the fetal micronutrient status. Micronutrients (Se, Cu, Zn, Fe, Cr, Sr, Mo, Co, Ni, As, and Mn) were quantitatively deter-mined in the hair samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Nexion 300D, Perkin Elmer, USA). The distribution patterns of micronutrients in the "mother–fetus" system in large cattle were not related to the newborn’s gender. Dependencies be-tween the micronutrient contents in the mother's hair and in the newborn were described by first-order (for Sr), second-order (for Co and Mn), and third-order (for Se, Cu, Zn, Fe, and As) polynomials. For four micronutrients (Se, Cu, Fe, and Co), graphs and analytical expressions were prepared, allowing the prediction of their contents in the fetus's body based on maternal indicators with a level of statistical significance of P = 0.05. For the other four micronutrients (Zn, Sr, As, and Mn), this was achieved with a level of P = 0.10–0.15. No statistically significant dependencies were found between the contents in the mother's hair and the newborn for Mo, Cr, and Ni. Based on the predictions, optimal content ranges were determined for 8 of 11 investigated micronutrients (Se, Cu, Fe, Co, Zn, Sr, As, and Mn) in the cow's hair 60 days before the expected calving, ensuring an optimal level of their accumulation in the fetus's body.

Evaluation of Bioactivity of Ethanol and Water Extracts and Determination of Nutrient Concentrations of Laurel (Laurus nobilis) Plants Grown in İzmir Province

This study was conducted to determination of ethanol and water extracts obtained from the leaves of Laurus nobilis (Laurel) plant of the general content by GC-MS analysis, antimicrobial activities of these extracts on some microorganisms, total antioxidant levels (TAS), total oxidant levels (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) values, anti-carcinogenic effects on various cell lines and macro and micronutrient concentrations of Laurel (Laurus nobilis) plants cultivated for decorative purposes in parks and gardens of Izmir province of Turkey. TAS, TOS, and OSI values were determined with the aid of Rel Assay Diagnostics kits. In antimicrobial activity analysis, the minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of the plant extracts against microorganisms was determined by microdilution broth method. Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Bacillus cereus (ATCC11778), Candida albicans (ATCC 10231) and Candida tropicalis (DSM11953) microorganisms were used in this analysis. Furthermore, cytotoxic activities of plant extracts were determined by XTT method in normal rat fibroblast cell line, HUVEC, and 2 different human cancer cell lines. At the end of the study, it was found that ethanol and water extracts of the Laurel plants had no antimicrobial activity, low oxidative stress index and good antioxidant activity, and moderate cytotoxic activity on experimented cell lines. Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (P), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn) and Copper (Cu) concentrations of plant extracts were respectively identified as 1.68% N, 0.72% P, 1.12% K, 2.40% Ca, 0.45% Mg, 147.4 mg/kg Fe, 13.6 mg/kg Zn, 326.3 mg/kg Mn and 27.8 mg/kg Cu.

Technological and Nutritional Aspects of Bread Production: An Overview of Current Status and Future Challenges.

Bakery products, especially bread, exist in many homes worldwide. One of the main reasons for its high consumption is that the main raw material is wheat, a cereal that can adapt to a wide variety of soils and climates. However, the nutritional quality of this raw material decreases during its industrial processing, decreasing the value of fibers, proteins, and minerals. Therefore, bread has become a product of high interest to increase its nutritional value. Due to the high consumption of bread, this paper provides a general description of the physicochemical and rheological changes of the dough, as well as the sensory properties of bread by incorporating alternative flours such as beans, lentils, and soy (among others). The reviewed data show that alternative flours can improve fiber, macro, and micronutrient content. The high fiber content reduces the quality of the texture of the products. However, new processing steps or cooking protocols, namely flour proportions, temperature, cooking, and fermentation time, can allow adjusting production variables and optimization to potentially overcome the decrease in sensory quality and preserve consumer acceptance.

Toxicity of bisphenol A and p-nitrophenol on tomato plants: Morpho-physiological, ionomic profile, and antioxidants/defense-related gene expression studies.

Bisphenol A (BPA) and p-nitrophenol (PNP) are emerging contaminants of soils due to their wide presence in agricultural and industrial products. Thus, the present study aimed to integrate morpho-physiological, ionic homeostasis, and defense- and antioxidant-related genes in the response of tomato plants to BPA or PNP stress, an area of research that has been scarcely studied. In this work, increasing the levels of BPA and PNP in the soil intensified their drastic effects on the biomass and photosynthetic pigments of tomato plants. Moreover, BPA and PNP induced osmotic stress on tomato plants by reducing soluble sugars and soluble proteins relative to control. The soil contamination with BPA and PNP treatments caused a decline in the levels of macro- and micro-elements in the foliar tissues of tomatoes while simultaneously increasing the contents of non-essential micronutrients. The Fourier transform infrared analysis of the active components in tomato leaves revealed that BPA influenced the presence of certain functional groups, resulting in the absence of some functional groups, while on PNP treatment, there was a shift observed in certain functional groups compared to the control. At the molecular level, BPA and PNP induced an increase in the gene expression of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase, with the exception of POD gene expression under BPA stress. The expression of the thaumatin-like protein gene increased at the highest level of PNP and a moderate level of BPA without any significant effect of both pollutants on the expression of the tubulin (TUB) gene. The comprehensive analysis of biochemical responses in tomato plants subjected to BPA and PNP stress illustrates valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying tolerance to these pollutants.

Ecological Dynamics of Water Hyacinth in Coimbatore Lakes: Implications for Biomass, Carbon Stock, and Nutrient Management

In aquatic ecosystems, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) often proliferates, impacting water quality and ecological balance. This study investigates the density, biomass, carbon stock, and nutrient concentrations of E. crassipes across five significant lakes in Coimbatore: Krishnampathy, Kurichi, Ukkadam, Singanallur, and Sulur. Field surveys, laboratory analyses and statistical methods were adopted in this study. The highest density of E. crassipes was observed in Krishnampathy Lake (59±2.5, no./m2). The biomass values (kg/m2) ranged from 1.00 to 7.33 for leaf, 3.23 to 8.03 for stalk, and from 1.47 to 10.80 for root samples. The carbon stock values (kg/m2) ranged from 0.51 to 3.74 for leaf, 1.49 to 3.73 for stalk, and from 0.68 to 4.19 for root samples, revealing the species potential role in reducing atmospheric carbon in mitigation of climate change. We have studied the macro and micro-nutrient concentrations present in E. crassipes, and also we checked the relationship between chlorophyll content and nutrient concentration with the carbon stock of different plant parts of E. crassipes. This study contributes to a better understanding of the ecological dynamics of water hyacinth in inland water bodies and its potential implications for carbon cycling and nutrient dynamics.

Optimizing bioenergy sorghum productivity and nutrient removal in Illinois: Impact of nitrogen fertilization under diverse marginal conditions

Context or problemBioenergy sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is a promising crop for contributing to the United States bioenergy supply. However, the varying limitations of the marginal lands targeted for its cultivation present a management challenge. ObjectiveThis two-year study aimed to investigate how the limitations associated with marginal cropland impact the effects of nitrogen fertilization on the yield of bioenergy sorghum and the uptake of 11 macro- (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S) and micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B). MethodsThe study contrasted prime cropland in central Illinois (Urbana) with three marginal cropland sites in southern (Ewing) and central Illinois (Fairbury and Pesotum). These marginal cropland sites are characterized by varying limitations, including low soil fertility (P and K limitations), leaching and erosion, and flooding, respectively. Four nitrogen rates (0, 56, 112, and 168 kg N ha−1) were tested under eight environments. ResultsThe average yields and ranges of sorghum biomass were 20.2 (17.0–23.2) Mg ha−1 in Urbana, 18.1 (13.1–19.8) Mg ha−1 in Ewing, 13.8 (9.0–17.3) Mg ha−1 in Fairbury, and 23.3 (14.6–33.0) Mg ha−1 in Pesotum. Optimal N rates were 56 N in Pesotum and 112 N in Urbana, Ewing, and Fairbury. Tissue macronutrient contents in Urbana were generally higher than in the marginal croplands, while micronutrient contents did not show discernible trends. Increasing N rate generally correlated with the macronutrient removal except in Ewing. ConclusionComparable sorghum biomass yields were observed between prime and marginal croplands (averaging 18.3 Mg ha−1), but optimal N rates varied between 56 N and 112 N. This suggests that yield gaps can be narrowed by applying the optimal N rates for the respective locations. However, increased removals of macronutrients, especially P and K, with increasing yields indicate the need to revise fertilizer recommendations, particularly for soils deficient in these nutrients. Implications or significanceOur study suggests that while sorghum production on marginal cropland is feasible, N management needs to be adapted to the unique limitations associated with various types of marginal cropland.