Macronutrient Deficiencies Research Articles

Nutritional Risks among Adolescent Athletes with Disordered Eating

In their attempt to achieve the optimum weight or body shape for their activity, athletes frequently use harmful weight-control practices that may lead to the development of disordered eating or eating disorders. These practices are linked to several medical and mental consequences that may be more serious in adolescent athletes, as their bodies must meet both intensive growth demands and training requirements at the same time. Among other consequences, adolescent athletes may be at nutritional risk, due to their high nutrient needs and unhealthy eating behaviors. A literature review was conducted to examine the main nutritional risks and malnutrition issues faced by adolescent athletes that present disordered eating attitudes or eating disorders. Most studies refer to adult elite athletes, however research on adolescent athletes also indicates that the most common nutritional risks that may arise due to disordered eating include energy, macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances and changes in body composition that may lead to menstrual abnormalities, and decreased bone mass density. Educational programs and early detection of disordered eating and eating disorders are crucial to avoid the emergence and ensure timely management of nutrition-related problems in the vulnerable group of adolescent athletes.

Rapid Identification of Rice Macronutrient Content in Saline Soils Using Smartphone Camera

Abstract Indonesia’s rice production has decreased by 6.83% (on average) in the last five years (2015 – 2019) because of some factors. Salinity (42%) is one of the leading factors that cause decreasing rice production besides climate change (21%), drought (9%), and other factors (28%). The smartphone camera serves as an alternative technology to prevent macronutrient deficiencies due to salinity. This study used aerial photos from android with visible light (R, G, and B), and the image was taken from a height of 5 m. The observation of macronutrient content in plant biomass was carried out using a free grid to adjust rice fields and saline soil. The formula was obtained from regression analysis and paired t-test between the biomass macronutrient and the extracted digital number of aerial photographs that have been stacked. The results showed that digital number (DN) from a smartphone was reliable to predict nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) content in rice with formula N = 0.0035 * DN + 0.8192 (R 2 0.84), P = 0.0049 * DN – 0.2042 (R 2 0.70), and K = 0.0478 * DN – 2.6717 (R 2 0.70). There was no difference between the macronutrient estimation results from the formula and the field’s original data.

Effects of Interspecific Chromosome Substitution in Upland Cotton on Cottonseed Macronutrients.

Nutrients, including macronutrients such as Ca, P, K, and Mg, are essential for crop production and seed quality, and for human and animal nutrition and health. Macronutrient deficiencies in soil lead to poor crop nutritional qualities and a low level of macronutrients in cottonseed meal-based products, leading to malnutrition. Therefore, the discovery of novel germplasm with a high level of macronutrients or significant variability in the macronutrient content of crop seeds is critical. To our knowledge, there is no information available on the effects of chromosome or chromosome arm substitution on cottonseed macronutrient content. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chromosome or chromosome arm substitution on the variability and content of the cottonseed macronutrients Ca, K, Mg, N, P, and S in chromosome substitution lines (CS). Nine chromosome substitution lines were grown in two-field experiments at two locations in 2013 in South Carolina, USA, and in 2014 in Mississippi, USA. The controls used were TM-1, the recurrent parent of the CS line, and the cultivar AM UA48. The results showed major variability in macronutrients among CS lines and between CS lines and controls. For example, in South Carolina, the mean values showed that five CS lines (CS-T02, CS-T04, CS-T08sh, CS-B02, and CS-B04) had higher Ca level in seed than controls. Ca levels in these CS lines varied from 1.88 to 2.63 g kg−1 compared with 1.81 and 1.72 g kg−1 for TM-1 and AMUA48, respectively, with CS-T04 having the highest Ca concentration. CS-M08sh exhibited the highest K concentration (14.50 g kg−1), an increase of 29% and 49% over TM-1 and AM UA48, respectively. Other CS lines had higher Mg, P, and S than the controls. A similar trend was found at the MS location. This research demonstrated that chromosome substitution resulted in higher seed macronutrients in some CS lines, and these CS lines with a higher content of macronutrients can be used as a genetic tool towards the identification of desired seed nutrition traits. Also, the CS lines with higher desired macronutrients can be used as parents to breed for improved nutritional quality in Upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., through improvement by the interspecific introgression of desired seed nutrient traits such as Ca, K, P, S, and N. The positive and significant (p ≤ 0.0001) correlation of P with Ca, P with Mg, S with P, and S with N will aid in understanding the relationships between nutrients to improve the fertilizer management program and maintain higher cottonseed nutrient content.

Expression dynamics indicate the role of Jasmonic acid biosynthesis pathway in regulating macronutrient (N, P and K+) deficiency tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Expression pattern indicates that JA biosynthesis pathway via regulating JA levels might control root system architecture to improve nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and N, P, K+ deficiency tolerance in rice. Deficiencies of macronutrients (N, P and K+) and consequent excessive use of fertilizers have dramatically reduced soil fertility. It calls for development of nutrient use efficient plants. Plants combat nutrient deficiencies by altering their root system architecture (RSA) to enhance the acquisition of nutrients from the soil. Amongst various phytohormones, Jasmonic acid (JA) is known to regulate plant root growth and modulate RSA. Therefore, to understand the role of JA in macronutrient deficiency in rice, expression pattern of JA biosynthesis genes was analyzed under N, P and K+ deficiencies. Several members belonging to different families of JA biosynthesis genes (PLA1, LOX, AOS, AOC, OPR, ACX and JAR1) showed differential expression exclusively in one nutrient deficiency or in multiple nutrient deficiencies. Expression analysis during developmental stages showed that several genes expressed significantly in vegetative tissues, particularly in root. In addition, JA biosynthesis genes were found to have significant expression under the treatment of different phytohormones, including Auxin, cytokinin, gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), JA and abiotic stresses, such as drought, salinity and cold. Analysis of promoters of these genes revealed various cis-regulatory elements associated with hormone response, plant development and abiotic stresses. These findings suggest that JA biosynthesis pathway by regulating the level of JA might control the RSA thus, it mayhelp rice plant incombating macronutrient deficiency.

Nutritional deficiency in scarlet eggplant limits its growth by modifying the absorption and use efficiency of macronutrients.

The intensity damages caused by nutritional deficiency in growing plants can vary with nutrients. The effects caused by nutrient omission in the plant nutritional efficiency in relation to the absorption and use of the missing nutrient, and the reasons why these damages reflect in other nutrients have not yet been reported in the culture of scarlet eggplant. A better understanding of the nutritional mechanisms involved may clarify why certain nutrients cause greater limitations than other during plants growth. Thus, this study was designed with the aim of evaluating the damages caused by macronutrients deficiency in the culture of scarlet eggplant in the accumulation of these nutrients, nutritional deficiency, plants growth and in visual symptoms. The experiment was carried out in a controlled environment where plants were cultivated in a hydroponic system. Treatments consisted of supplying a complete Hoagland and Arnon solution (CS), and other nutrient solutions with individual omissions of nitrogen (-N), phosphorus (-P), potassium (-K), calcium (-Ca), magnesium (-Mg) and sulphur (-S). When a nutrient deficiency arose, nutritional analyses, growth and visual symptoms were analyzed. The omissions of N, S and K in the nutrient solution resulted in lower accumulation of all macronutrients in both the above and below ground biomass. Individual omissions resulted in nutritional imbalances with reflexes in the absorption efficiencies and use of the missing nutrient, as well as of other nutrients, revealing that the metabolism involves multiple nutritional interactions. Losses of nutritional efficiencies of macronutrients caused detrimental effects on plants growth, with reduced height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, and biomass production in above ground and below ground. From the losses in production in above ground biomass, the order of macronutrients limitation was N, S, K, Ca, Mg, and P, with reductions of 99, 96, 94, 76, 51 and 46%, respectively, in comparison to plants cultivated in CS. The most limiting nutrients were N, S, and K, seen that its deficiencies affected the metabolism of all other nutrients. This study demonstrates the importance of an adequate nutritional management of N, S, and K in the cultivation of scarlet eggplant.

Expression of potential reference genes in response to macronutrient stress in rice and soybean.

Given the complexity of nutrient stress responses and the availability of a few validated reference genes, we aimed to identify robust and stable reference genes for macronutrient stress in rice and soybean. Ten potential reference genes were evaluated using geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, Comparative ΔCt method, and RefFinder algorithms under low and completely starved conditions of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulphur (S). Results revealed distinct sets of reference gene pairs, showing stable expression under different experimental conditions. The gene pairs TIP41/UBC(9/10/18) and F-box/UBC10 were most stable in rice and soybean, respectively under N stress. Under P stress, UBC9/UBC10 in rice and F-Box/UBC10 in soybean were most stable. Similarly, TIP41/UBC10 in rice and RING FINGER/UBC9 in soybean were the best gene pairs under K stress while F-Box/TIP41 in rice and UBC9/UBC10 in soybean were the most stable gene pairs under S stress. These reference gene pairs were validated by quantifying the expression levels of high-affinity transporters like NRT2.1/NRT2.5, PT1, AKT1, and SULTR1 for N, P, K, and S stress, respectively. This study reiterates the importance of choosing reference genes based on crop species and the experimental conditions, in order to obtain concrete answers to missing links of gene regulation in response to macronutrient deficiencies.

Prevalence and determinants of Vitamin A deficiency among children in India: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey

BackgroundVitamin A deficiency is major concern especially for the children living in developing countries. According to UNICEF around one third of the children are not receiving the supplementation of Vitamin A they need. AimThe present study focuses on Vitamin A deficiency among the children aged 12–59 months in India by analysing the data from the latest nutritional survey. MethodsThe Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS), conducted during 2016–18, dataset for 0–5 years age has been used in the study. The study has employed bi-variate analysis to assess the prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) based on the CRP (C-reactive protein) values (CRP ≤5 mg/L), by the different socio-economic and demographic characteristics along with dietary diversity, stunting, anaemia and breastfeeding related variables. Log-binomial regression model has been used for the multivariable analysis and based on that predicted probabilities were computed. ResultsThe overall prevalence of VAD in India is 17.54%. Children who are exposed to longer duration of breastfeeding have lower prevalence of VAD. Children in poorer economic sections are more vitamin A deficient compared to children in richer economic sections. The prevalence of VAD among children having minimum diet diversity is 18.63%. ConclusionThe study suggests in focusing on the targeted groups of children who are at more risk in developing VAD and planning interventions for specific groups. The nutrition programs require a multisectoral approach for addressing the needs of macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies simultaneously to enhance the current situation of nutrition among children in India.

Macronutrient deficiency in cucumber plants: impacts in nutrition, growth and symptoms

This study aimed to assess the growth, nutrition and visual deficiency symptoms of cucumber plants as a function of macronutrient omission. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, with seven treatments and four replicates, corresponding to nutrient solution without nutrient omission (CS) of Hoagland and Arnon, nitrogen (−N), phosphorus (−P), potassium (−K), calcium (−Ca), magnesium (−Mg) and sulfur (−S) omission. Omissions decreased the accumulation of macronutrients with detrimental effects in physiological variables and in the efficiency of absorption, transport and use of macronutrients, causing losses in growth and on dry mass production. Since the losses in dry mass in the shoot were up to 85%, 85%, 83%, 47%, 40% and 40% to the omission of Ca, Mg, N, P, K and S, respectively. The accumulation of macronutrients in the aerial part of cucumber plants that received the complete solution (CS) in relation to each omission (−) was 1058/75, 157/20, 958/152, 578/9, 147/5 and 142/12 for CSN/−NN, SCP/−PP, SCK/−KK, SCCa/−CaCa, SCMg/−MgMg and SCS/−SS, respectively. Therefore, the lowest macronutrients accumulation, the green color index, plant growth and dry matter production were reduced in cucumber plants. The order of limitation of macronutrients in the shoot dry matter production in cucumber plants was N = Ca = Mg > P > K = S.

Agri-Environmental Sustainability of Indian Agriculture: A State Level Analysis

Improving economic viability of Indian agriculture is contingent upon agri-environmental sustainability (AES). Objective assessment of environmental costs of agriculture is lacking in India. Unless internalise environmental impacts of agriculture will be borne by the society at large, in terms of depletion and degradation of water resources, land degradation and emissions of greenhouse gases, etc. To assess AES of Indian agriculture, the present article builds a comprehensive agri-environmental sustainability index (AESI) based on 40 agri-environmental indicators. The study captures both spatial and temporal aspects of AES by covering 17 major Indian states over 24 years (1990–1991 to 2013–2014). The estimated AESI scores are validated with outcome indicators (e.g., groundwater depletion, depletion of soil nutrients). The results show that states having higher score in Sustainable Irrigation Index are facing lower fall in groundwater level and there are negative correlations across sub-indices of AESI and macronutrient deficiencies in soil. An inverse relationship between AESI scores and agricultural intensity (as measured by average productivity of foodgrains in kilograms per hectare) is also observed. The study comes out with policy suggestions which could help to attain AES of Indian agriculture.

Maternal Immune Activation and Retrotransposition in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Epidemiologic studies have repeatedly implicated infectious and noninfectious maternal immune activation (MIA) in the etiology of neuropsychiatric illnesses (1). MIA can trigger several pathophysiological processes, including inflammation and oxidative stress in maternal and fetal compartments, activation of maternal stress response systems, and temporary micronutrient and/or macronutrient deficiencies, as well as disruption of placental functions (2). When occurring during sensitive periods of fetal development, these pathophysiological processes have the potential to change the offspring’s neurodevelopmental trajectories and increase their risk to develop neuropsychiatric disorders later in life (2).

Development and Evaluation of Indian Traditional Sweet ‘Laddoo’ Supplemented with Germinated Pumpkin Seed Flour

Aim: The study was planned to evaluate Indian traditional sweet ‘Laddoo’ supplemented with germinated pumpkin seed flour.
 Study Design: The traditional recipe was supplemented by replacing the whole wheat flour and bengalgram flour with 10, 20 and 30% of germinated pumpkin seed flour. The developed products were subjected to organoleptic and nutritional evaluation. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using ANOVA.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried in Department of Foods & Nutrition and was part of doctoral research work carried out between 2017-19.
 Methodology: Sensory evaluation of developed products was carried out using 9-point hedonic scale. The samples were further analysed for moisture, ash, crude fat, crude protein and crude fiber, total, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, total and available minerals using standard methods.
 Results: The supplementation resulted in a significant (P≤0.05) increase in ash, crude fat, crude protein and crude fiber while total carbohydrates decreased. The supplemented product had crude protein ranging from 19.39-25.59 g; crude fibre 2.21 -3.24 g and ash 5.70-8.19 g/100 g at different levels of incorporation as against 16.53, 1,64 and 3.66 g/100 g respectively in control product. Significant increase was observed in mineral content also. The supplemented products had calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and phosphorus ranging from 63.47-95.46, 132.63-133.58, 3.58-7.51, 6.49-11.33, 639.53-884.34 and 343.32-356.63 mg/100 g on dry matter basis. The developed products were acceptable to judges.
 Conclusion: Incorporation of germinated pumpkin seed flour significantly (P≤0.05) improved the nutrient and mineral profile of whole wheat flour Bengal flour Laddoo. Such developed products can be very useful in combating the macronutrient and micronutrients deficiency problem in population of all age groups.

Perspective: The Convergence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Food Insecurity in the United States

ABSTRACTDuring the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, food insecurity has doubled overall and tripled among households with children in the United States. Food insecurity and COVID-19 may exacerbate one another through bidirectional links, leading to a syndemic, or sequential disease clusters, which exacerbate one another. Experiencing food insecurity may be associated with macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies, which can weaken host defenses, thus increasing susceptibility to COVID-19. Food insecurity is associated with chronic medical conditions, which may afford a higher risk of severe COVID-19 illness. People experiencing food insecurity may have increased exposure to COVID-19 while procuring food. People with COVID-19 may be unable to work, generate income, and procure food while quarantined, which may exacerbate food insecurity. Clinicians should screen for food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide referrals to food-assistance programs when appropriate. Policymakers should expand benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to address increases in the depth and breadth of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rhizobacteria associated with Miscanthus x giganteus improve metal accumulation and plant growth in the flotation tailings

Flotation tailings represent an extremely unfriendly substrate for plant colonization due to toxic metal concentrations and marked macronutrient deficiencies. The perennial grass Miscanthus x giganteus J.M.Greef & Deuter ex Hodk. & Renvoize was successfully cultivated in this infertile substrate for two years. Our aim was to identify composition of its rhizosphere bacterial community and to analyze the effects of the selected rhizobacteria on plant growth, root development, metal and P uptake. Using the cultivation-dependent method, 75 isolates were collected from the rhizosphere and six rhizobacterial strains were selected for further characterization based on morphological and biochemical differences. The plant rhizomes were inoculated with the consortium of rhizobacteria and cultivated in the flotation tailings substrate. Detected bacterial strains were characterized as metal-resistant and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) because of their metal tolerance (NiCl2, Pb(C2H3O2)2, CuSO4, NaAsO2, MnCl2) and some or all of the plant growth-promoting (PGP) properties (indole-3-acetic acid and siderophore production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity and phosphate solubilization). PGPR mitigated the negative effects of high metal concentrations and macronutrient deficiency as shown by stimulated lateral roots development, increased root hair length, plant below and above ground biomass yield, higher plant P uptake and metal accumulation rate. The isolated PGPR strains could be used in PGP-bacteria assisted phytoremediation of flotation tailings and metal polluted soils by M. x giganteus. Their PGP effects on various metal-tolerant target plant species in the respective substrate remain to be verified.

Oxidative Stress Under Macronutrient Deficiency in Plants

Mineral nutrients play crucial functions in the growth and development of plants as they are intimately involved in the plant cell organization and metabolic functions. The mineral nutrients are either structural/functional constituents of enzymes or act as activators or regulators of various enzyme activities. The macronutrients like N (nitrogen) and P (phosphorus) form structural constituents of building block materials, and some of them [K (potassium), Ca (calcium), and Mg (magnesium)] are regulator or activator of enzymes. Deficiencies of macronutrient affect various physiological or metabolic activities including increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the organisms. Excess production of ROS causes oxidative stress in the plants. To counter with the oxidative stress, plants have evolved both enzymatic and non-enzymatic ROS scavenging system for protection of cellular components against deleterious ROS. Antioxidant machinery is comprised of various antioxidant enzymes such as peroxidases (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), and dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and non-enzyme molecules such as ascorbate (AA), glutathione (GSH), carotenoids and α-tocopherols. Reactive oxygen species can attack cellular structures such as cell membranes and various biomolecules including proteins and nucleic acids and causes lipid peroxidation and protein damage. In this review, we summarize recent developments on oxidative stress and antioxidant responses of plants induced by macronutrient deficiency. Further, we discuss possible ROS signaling events involved in oxidative stress and antioxidant responses induced due to different macronutrient deficiency.

Evaluation of the omission of nutrients in the mineral development and composition of young cupuaçuzeiro plants (Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) Schum.) progeny 61

Include the abstract in English. (TNR font 10 – simple space) The objectives of the study were to evaluate the fertility of the Yellow Latosol medium texture in plants of cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) progeny 61 and to characterize the visual symptoms of macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies. The plants were grown in nutrient solution containing all macronutrients and micronutrients and in solutions with omission of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, and Zn, using the missing element technique. The experimental design was completely randomized with eleven treatments and five replications. Growth was evaluated through production and dry matter at 60 days after planting. The progeny showed market potential, as it is more productive than the others, but it presents nutritional requirements similar to those of the cultivars already studied. The nutrient required in greater quantities by the culture was nitrogen, but the omission, but limiting, was that of potassium for biometric variables. The best treatment was complete followed by omission of zinc, but the difference between them was significant. The levels of nutrients in the leaves were similar to those found by other authors in other cultivars. The decreasing order of treatments was C> Zn> T> N> P> Ca> Mg> S> B> K.

Capsaicinoids and mineral composition of peppers produced under nutrient deficiencies

The aim of the present study was to verify the effect of the nutritional stress caused by macronutrient and boron deficiencies on the biosynthesis of capsaicinoids and the mineral nutrient contents of dry Capsicum annuum fruits. The experiments were carried out in a shade house at Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ, Brazil, in sand fertigated with a nutrient solution, in randomized blocks applying an 8x2 bifactorial scheme, with eight treatments [Complete treatment and applying the element omission technique for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S) and boron (B)], and two fruit harvesting dates, with four replications. Pepper fruits produced under potassium deficiency displayed increased capsaicin contents, whereas sulfur deficiency decreased capsaicin contents. Capsaicin contents were different depending on the harvesting dates, ranging from 0.369 to 1.224 mg g−1.

The Regulatory Role of Silicon in Mitigating Plant Nutritional Stresses.

It has been long recognized that silicon (Si) plays important roles in plant productivity by improving mineral nutrition deficiencies. Despite the fact that Si is considered as ‘quasi–essential’, the positive effect of Si has mostly been described in resistance to biotic and tolerance to abiotic stresses. During the last decade, much effort has been aimed at linking the positive effects of Si under nutrient deficiency or heavy metal toxicity (HM). These studies highlight the positive effect of Si on biomass production, by maintaining photosynthetic machinery, decreasing transpiration rate and stomatal conductance, and regulating uptake and root to shoot translocation of nutrients as well as reducing oxidative stress. The mechanisms of these inputs and the processes driving the alterations in plant adaptation to nutritional stress are, however, largely unknown. In this review, we focus on the interaction of Si and macronutrient (MaN) deficiencies or micro-nutrient (MiN) deficiency, summarizing the current knowledge in numerous research fields that can improve our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning this cross-talk. To this end, we discuss the gap in Si nutrition and propose a working model to explain the responses of individual MaN or MiN disorders and their mutual responses to Si supplementation.

Green walls to treat kitchen greywater in urban areas: Performance from a pilot-scale experiment

An increase in water use in urban areas is forcing scientists and policy makers to find alternative solutions for freshwater management, aimed at attaining integrated water resources management. Here, we tested in a 2-year experiment (June 2017–April 2019) the treatment performance of an innovative wall cascade constructed wetland (WCCW) system. The aim was to combine the multifunctional benefits of green walls (e.g. aesthetic, surface area requirements) with those of constructed wetland systems (e.g. high pollutants removal efficiencies, water recycling) to treat kitchen greywaters. The WCCW was a terraced system of six phytoremediation lines, each of which was composed of three plastic tanks (3 × 0.04 m3), filled with lightweight porous media, and vegetated with different ornamental species, namely Mentha aquatica L., Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC., and Lysimachia nummularia L. Physicochemical (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity) and chemical parameters (chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, anionic surfactants, Kjeldahl, ammonium and nitric nitrogen, total orthophosphate) were monitored at a frequency of at least 15 days, depending on the season and WCCW management. Results showed that the WCCW significantly reduced the main water pollutants (e.g. organic compounds, nutrients), suggesting its potential application in urban environments for water recycling in the context of green infrastructures and ecological sanitation. A culture-independent taxonomic assessment of suspended bacterial communities before and after the treatment showed clear treatment-related shifts, being the functional ecology attributes changed according to changes in greywater chemical parameters. Future research should attempt to optimize the WCCW system management by regulating the nutrients balance to avoid macronutrients deficiency, and setting the most suitable water flow dynamics (hydraulic retention time, saturation-desaturation cycles) to improve the greywater treatment.

Seasonal Change, Fishing Revenues, and Nutrient Intakes of Fishers’ Children in Davao Gulf, Philippines

Monsoons affect the Philippines’ weather and climate in different regions during the year, which leads to significant changes to coastal ecosystems. Specifically, while the northeast monsoon (NEM) season brings less rainfall the succeeding dry summer season becomes relatively hotter and drier. Maintaining a healthy coastal habitat is critical because it is the main source of income, food, and nutrition for many households, especially children. Hence, this study examined 270 fishing households – including 315 children – to assess if there were significant changes in fish catch and revenues during the NEM and summer seasons and how these changes affected food consumption and nutrient intakes of children in a marine protected area (MPA) in Davao Gulf. The study found that catch per unit (CPUE) effort levels and fishing revenues were higher in the NEM as compared to the summer season. Moreover, food consumption and nutrient intakes of children were significantly reduced from NEM to the summer season and were also insufficient in both seasons, according to the Philippine Dietary Reference Intakes (PDRI) standards. Thus, while issues regarding micro and macronutrient deficiencies of children in the coastal areas should be addressed, more focused intervention is needed during the summer season. Furthermore, tourism-based services such as recreational and site-seeing activities can be an option to provide more livelihood and income opportunities for fishers. However, if possible, such activities should be intensified during the summer season because children are more vulnerable due to their relatively more inadequate food and nutrient intakes.

Phosphorus transitions in traditional eco-knowledge versus chemical based agri-amendment systems of stress-prone semi-arid tropics: Finding the real game-changer

Fixation of Phosphorus into locked forms hampers the availability of this important soil element. Phosphate Solubilising Microorganisms (PSM) play an important role of solubilisation and mineralization of these fixed forms into bio-available forms through reactions that are complex but provide simple solutions to P deficiency in soils. Semi-arid soil may have high total phosphorus concentrations but as most of the P is in an unavailable form, it leads to deficiency of this essential macronutrient in the crop. The use of microbial inoculants (biofertilisers) that possess the Phosphate solubilizing activities in agricultural soils is considered as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical based P fertilizers. The present study is a first of its kind attempt to understand the impact of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) (A1) vis-à-vis conventional chemical intensive integrated (A2) based agriculture amendment systems in altering/modifying the Phosphorus dynamics of the soil in the semiarid tropical region of Kachchh, Western India. The study was carried out for the pre, mid and post-harvest phases of crops for six seasons spread across 4 years.Higher Phosphorus Activation Coefficient (PAC), which is the ratio of available P (AP) to total P (TP) was observed in A1, that coincided with higher soil organic carbon (SOC) as well, across all seasons. The present study tried to answer questions as to how indigenous knowledge-based systems suited to local supply/demand complex system are precursors/indicators of a better microcosm in agriculture ecology studies that owing to its organic matter content improves SOC and PAC and in turn the overall P availability.