Grown In Soil Research Articles

Key Factors Controlling Cadmium and Lead Contents in Rice Grains of Plants Grown in Soil with Different Cadmium Levels from an Area with Typical Karst Geology

Key Factors Controlling Cadmium and Lead Contents in Rice Grains of Plants Grown in Soil with Different Cadmium Levels from an Area with Typical Karst Geology

Correlation of Elemental Transfer, Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Activity on Lactuca sativa L. Grown in Soil with Functionalized CNT and HMs.

While heavy metals (HM) have been considered in recent decades to be the most common and problematic pollutants, the expansion of the list of pollutants due to the active use of carbon nanotubes (CNT) raises new questions about the benefit and harm of HM released to nature individually or fixed on CNT walls. A pot experiment was conducted to compare the effect of two classes of potential pollutants-metal salts of Pb, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Ni; and functionalized CNTs with COOH, MnO2, Fe3O4, and MnO2-Fe3O4-applied in soil, on the elemental transfer, the bioactive compounds accumulation, and the antioxidant activity in lettuce. While CNTs mainly increased the elemental transfer from soil to leaves, HM salts strongly obstructed it. In the presence of CNTs, the antioxidant activity in lettuce leaves correlated with the transfer of elements from soil to root and from root to leaves. The excess of HMs in soil induced a greater variation of the polyphenols quantity and antioxidant activity than the excess of CNTs. It might be assumed that lettuce perceived HMs as a more aggressive stressor than CNTs and more strongly activated the defense mechanism, showing the reduction of the element transfer and enhancing of total polyphenol production and antioxidant activity.

Low Phosphorus Tolerance Mechanisms in Soybean Cultivars Grown in Soil

Low Phosphorus Tolerance Mechanisms in Soybean Cultivars Grown in Soil

Effects of Different Irrigation Rates on Remontant Strawberry Cultivars Grown in Soil

The present study assessed the responses, in terms of vegetative, productive, qualitative, and nutritional features, of plants and berries of three remontant strawberry cultivars cultivated in soil and irrigated using three irrigation regimes: standard irrigation regime (W100), 20% (W80) less irrigation than the standard irrigation, and 40% (W60) less irrigation than the standard irrigation. The tested plants were “Albion”, “San Andreas”, and “Monterey”, which were cultivated in the east coast area of Marche, Italy. Specifically, the study examined the response of the genotype to irrigation deficit, highlighting the performance of the “Monterey” cultivar, which showed improvement in terms of fruit firmness, folate content, and antioxidant capacity at the W80 irrigation regime without a significant yield reduction. In all the cultivars, when irrigation was reduced by up to 20% of the standard irrigation regime (W100), there were no significant losses of yield or reduction in the fruits’ sensorial quality or antioxidant activity. The results showed that the standard irrigation regime (W100) commonly adopted by the farmers in the Marche area uses more water than necessary. With more accurate water management, it will be possible to save almost 226 m3 of water per hectare per cultivation cycle.

Investigating the Effects of Salicylic Acid and Rice Husk Ash on Pb and Cd Concentration in Pinto Bean Plants Grown in Soil Contaminated with Diesel Oil and Heavy Metals

Investigating the Effects of Salicylic Acid and Rice Husk Ash on Pb and Cd Concentration in Pinto Bean Plants Grown in Soil Contaminated with Diesel Oil and Heavy Metals

Soil Enzymes and Antioxidants Activities of Edible Vegetables Grown in Soils Polluted by Gas Flaring.

Associated gas flaring has several consequences on the environment. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of gas flaring on soil enzymes and plant antioxidant activities from gas flare-bearing communities in Nigeria. Soil and plant samples were obtained from farmlands in Ukwa West and Izombe gas flaring sites, as well as unpolluted site from Olokoro (used as control). The level of activities of soil urease, dehydrogenase, phosphatases, plant antioxidant enzymes and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) of selected plants (Gnetum africanum [GA], Piper guineense [PG], Gongronema latifolium [GL], Pterocarpus mildbraedii [PM]) were evaluated using standard methods. The results showed that the activities of urease were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in soil from Ukwa site than Izombe and the control soil. Dehydrogenase (DHA) and phosphatases recorded higher activities (P < 0.05) for Izombe soil than in Ukwa compared with the control. For plants, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) recorded a significant (P < 0.05) higher activities in all the plants assayed from Ukwa site than Izombe and the control site. The activities of GPx from GA and PG plants at Izombe site were not significant (P > 0.05) when compared with the control, except for PM and GL which recorded a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in GPX and SOD activities, respectively. The activities of catalase enzyme also decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in all plants grown at Ukwa, while an increase was seen for GA and PM grown at Izombe compared with control. The overall variability in enzymes activities is an indication that soil ecosystem and plants are altered significantly by the stress load from the gas flaring pollutants which could serve as bio-indicators for assessing ecological risks and bioremediation.

Amorphous Silica-Based Fertilizer Reduces Cd Uptake and Translocation and Human Health Risk in Polluted Soil Grown with Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)

Amorphous Silica-Based Fertilizer Reduces Cd Uptake and Translocation and Human Health Risk in Polluted Soil Grown with Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)

Performance and Nutrient Content of Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus L. Moench) Fruits as Influenced by Vermicompost, Nitrogen and Zinc Grown in Soil

This investigation aimed to assess the influence of soil-applied vermicompost, nitrogen and zinc on the vegetative growth parameters, yield, and mineral nutrient concentration of the fruits of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L. Moench). The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design followed by three replications. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and mean values were compared using Tukey’s Range Test at p ≤ 0.05. Variation in mean values was compared among eight treatments: control (T1), 6 ton ha-1 vermicompost (T2), 60 kg ha-1 N (T3), 2 kg ha-1 Zn (T4), 6 ton ha-1 vermicompost + 60 kg ha-1 N (T5), 60 kg ha-1 N + 2 kg ha-1 Zn (T6), 6 ton ha-1 vermicompost + 2 kg ha-1 Zn (T7), and 6 ton ha-1 vermicompost + 60 kg ha-1 N + 2 kg ha-1 Zn (T8). The maximum growth performance and yield contributing properties of okra, viz. plant height (56 cm), leaf number (11 plant-1), leaf area (14.5 cm2), stem girth (3.5 cm), branch number (8 plant-1), and fruit number (6.50 plant-1), fruit diameter (5.50 cm), fruit length (13.50 cm), and weight of fresh (64.29 g) and dry plant materials (14.56 g), were found in T5. The control T1 performance showed reducing trends compared to other treatments. Although there was no significant difference with the application of vermicompost 6 t ha-1 + N 60 kg ha-1 + Zn 2 kg ha-1 (T8), the treated pot in vermicompost with 6 t ha-1 + N 60 kg ha-1 (T5) showed the best achievements of macro elements N (0.008%), P (6.70 ppm), K (0.08 cmol/kg), and S (18.22 ppm) of post-harvest soil compared to the control T1. Mineral nutrients of fruits N-1.64%, P-0.27%, K-0.30%, S-0.10%, and Fe-0.02% and protein content 10.23% were found to be highest in the identical T5 where Zn content was highest (0.28%) in T8. This study showed that the treatment of vermicompost with 6 t ha-1 + N 60 kg ha-1 (T5) contained and released quality nutrients is recommended for its overall best growth performance for okra. J. Biodivers. Conserv. Bioresour. Manag. 2023, 9(1): 101-108

Rhizosphere Microbiomes of Amaranthus spp. Grown in Soils with Anthropogenic Polyelemental Anomalies

Study of rhizospheric microbial communities of plants growing under different environmental conditions is important for understanding the habitat-dependent formation of rhizosphere microbiomes. The rhizosphere bacterial communities of four amaranth cultivars were investigated in a laboratory pot experiment. Amaranthus tricolor cv. Valentina, A. cruentus cv. Dyuimovochka, and A. caudatus cvs. Bulava and Zelenaya Sosulka were grown for six months in three soils with different anthropogenic polyelemental anomalies and in a background control soil. After the plant cultivation, the rhizosphere soils were sampled and subjected to metagenomic analysis for the 16S rRNA gene. The results showed that the taxonomic structure of the amaranth rhizosphere microbiomes was represented by the dominant bacterial phyla Actinobacteriota and Proteobacteria. A feature of the taxonomic profile of the rhizobiomes of A. tricolor cv. Valentina and A. cruentus cv. Dyuimovochka was a large abundance of sequences related to Cyanobacteria. The formation of the amaranth rhizosphere microbiomes was largely unaffected by soils, but cultivar differences in the formation of the amaranth rhizosphere microbial structure were revealed. Bacterial taxa were identified that are possibly selected by amaranths and that may be important for plant adaptation to various habitat conditions. The targeted enrichment of the amaranth rhizosphere with members of these taxa could be useful for improving the efficacy of amaranth use for agricultural and remediation purposes.

Nodule Formation and Nitrogen Fixation in Acacia holosericea Plants Grown in Soil Admixed with Iron Ore Tailings

Nodule Formation and Nitrogen Fixation in Acacia holosericea Plants Grown in Soil Admixed with Iron Ore Tailings

Residual Effects of Nickel and Its Interaction with Applied Zinc and NPK Improve the Growth, Yield, and Nutritional Quality of Cowpea and Urease Activity of Soil Grown in Vertisols

Residual Effects of Nickel and Its Interaction with Applied Zinc and NPK Improve the Growth, Yield, and Nutritional Quality of Cowpea and Urease Activity of Soil Grown in Vertisols

Growth Characteristics of Tomatoes Grafted with Different Rootstocks Grown in Soil during Winter Season

Growth Characteristics of Tomatoes Grafted with Different Rootstocks Grown in Soil during Winter Season

Barley Rhizosphere Microbiome Transplantation – A Strategy to Decrease Susceptibility of Barley Grown in Soils With Low Microbial Diversity to Powdery Mildew

Beneficial bacteria in the rhizosphere are known to trigger faster and stronger plant immune responses to biotic and abiotic stressors. In the present study, we aimed to test the hypothesis that a rhizosphere microbiome transplant (RMT) may improve the immune response and reduce the disease rates of barley (Hordeum vulgare). This hypothesis was tested in a greenhouse system with the powdery mildew-causing fungus Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei (Bgh). Detached rhizosphere microbiome from barley grown in a field soil was transplanted to barley seedlings grown in potting soil with reduced microbial diversity. Saline-treated plants served as control. At the three-leaf stage, barley was infected with Bgh. Decreased susceptibility to Bgh was observed for barley treated with the RMT as displayed by lower Bgh pustule counts in a detached leaf assay. A trend toward enhanced relative transcript abundances of the defense-related genes PR1b and PR17b was observed in leaves, 24 h after the Bgh challenge, when compared to the control. Moreover, 10 days after the Bgh challenge, the barley rhizosphere microbiome was harvested and analyzed by sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. The microbial community composition was significantly influenced by the RMT and displayed higher microbial diversity compared to the control. Furthermore, microbial beta-diversity and predicted functional profiles revealed a treatment-dependent clustering. Bacterial isolates from the RMT showed in vitro plant beneficial traits related to induced resistance. Our results showed that transplantation of a rhizosphere microbiome could be a sustainable strategy to improve the health of plants grown in potting soil with low microbial diversity under greenhouse conditions.

Differential Metabolic Responses of Lettuce Grown in Soil, Substrate and Hydroponic Cultivation Systems under NH4+/NO3- Application.

Nitrogen (N) is an essential element for plant growth and development. The application of a balanced and optimal amount of N is required for sustainable plant yield. For this, different N sources and forms are used, that including ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−). These are the main sources for N uptake by plants where NH4+/NO3− ratios have a significant effect on the biomass, quality and metabolites composition of lettuce grown in soil, substrate and hydroponic cultivation systems. A limited supply of N resulted in the reduction in the biomass, quality and overall yield of lettuce. Additionally, different types of metabolites were produced with varying concentrations of N sources and can be used as metabolic markers to improve the N use efficiency. To investigate the differential metabolic activity, we planted lettuce with different NH4+/NO3− ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100%) and a control (no additional N applied) in soil, substrate and hydroponic cultivation systems. The results revealed that the 25% NH4+/75% NO3− ratio increased the relative chlorophyll contents as well as the biomass of lettuce in all cultivation systems. However, lettuce grown in the hydroponic cultivation system showed the best results. The concentration of essential amino acids including alanine, valine, leucine, lysine, proline and serine increased in soil and hydroponically grown lettuce treated with the 25% NH4+/75% NO3− ratio. The taste and quality-related compounds in lettuce showed maximum relative abundance with the 25% NH4+/75% NO3− ratio, except ascorbate (grown in soil) and lactupicrin (grown in substrate), which showed maximum relative abundance in the 50% NH4+/50% NO3− ratio and control treatments, respectively. Moreover, 1-O-caffeoylglucose, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, aesculetin and quercetin-3-galactoside were increased by the application of the 100% NH4+/0% NO3− ratio in soil-grown lettuce. The 25% NH4+/75% NO3− ratio was more suitable in the hydroponic cultivation system to obtain increased lettuce biomass. The metabolic profiling of lettuce showed different behaviors when applying different NH4+/NO3− ratios. Therefore, the majority of the parameters were largely influenced by the 25% NH4+/75% NO3− ratio, which resulted in the hyper-accumulation of health-promoting compounds in lettuce. In conclusion, the optimal N applications improve the quality of lettuce grown in soil, substrate and hydroponic cultivation systems which ultimately boost the nutritional value of lettuce.

Exogenously Applied Trehalose Augments Cadmium Stress Tolerance and Yield of Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Grown in Soil and Hydroponic Systems through Reducing Cd Uptake and Enhancing Photosynthetic Efficiency and Antioxidant Defense Systems.

Cadmium (Cd) toxicity is a serious environmental issue causing a significant reduction in crop growth and productivity globally. Trehalose (Tre) has emerged as an important reducing sugar that can reduce the adverse impacts of different abiotic stresses. Therefore, the present investigation was performed to determine the key role of Tre in alleviating Cd stress in the mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) crop. The study was comprised of different treatments of cadmium (0, 10, 20 mg kg−1 soil) and Tre (0, 15 and 30 mM). Cd stress significantly restricted the growth and yield of mung bean. However, Tre supplementation markedly improved growth and yield due to pronounced reductions in Cd uptake and Cd-induced oxidative stress as shown by the lower production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), electrolyte leakage (EL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in Cd-stressed plants as well as by the enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes (CAT, POD, APX and AsA). Moreover, the ameliorative role of Tre to Cd toxicity was also demonstrated by its ability to enhance chlorophyll contents, total soluble protein (TSP) and free amino acids (FAA). Taken together, Tre supplementation played a key beneficial role in improving Cd stress tolerance and yield traits of mung bean through restricting Cd uptake and enhancing photosynthetic capacity, osmolytes biosynthesis and antioxidant activities.

Variation in the Primary and Secondary Metabolites, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Potentials of Tomatoes, Grown in Soil Blended with Different Concentration of Fly Ash.

The aim of the study was to investigate the variation in nutritional composition, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities of tomatoes grown in fly ash blended soils, i.e.,T1 (soil 100% + 0% fly ash), T2 (soil 75%+ 25% fly ash), and T3 (soil 50% + 50% fly ash) soils. The tomato samples were harvested and screened for their proximate analysis, mineral composition, vitamin C contents, phenolic profile, and antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Results showed that T3 soil crop has high proximate composition, vitamin C, and phenolic contents as compared with T2 and T1 soil crops. Furthermore, significant variation in the elements analysis was observed in the crops grown in T1, T2, and T3 soils. T3 soil crop exhibited better antioxidant activity in term of total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoids contents (TFC), DPPH radical scavenging capacity, and ferric reducing potential as compared with T2 and T1 soil crops. Similarly, maximum inhibition zones were observed for T3 soil crop when tested for Staphylococcus aureus isolate 1 and 3 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In conclusion, the crop grown in T3 blended soil had high antioxidant and antibacterial potentials and better nutritional composition.

In vitro and in vivo evaluations of antioxidative, anti-Alzheimer, antidiabetic and anticancer potentials of hydroponically and soil grown Lactuca sativa

BackgroundLactuca sativa is an edible plant commonly used by local communities to manage diabetes and stomach problems.MethodsThis work aimed to investigate the anti-oxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic and Anti-Alzheimer effects of hydroponically (HyL) and soil-grown (SoL) Lactuca sativa. Streptozotocin-induced diabetes and AlCl3-induced Alzheimer’s disease model was used to evaluate the medicinal effects of Lactuca sativa.ResultsHyL showed significant activity in lipid peroxidation assay, DPPH and DNA protection assay, while SoL extract showed moderated activity, respectively. A similar activity response was quantified for α-glucosidase, α-amylase, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition assays. The cytotoxic potential of HyL and SoL extracts against MCF7, and HePG2 cancer cell lines exhibited significant activity. HyL and SoL showed a substantial decrease in blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes-related liver/kidney biomarkers and anti-oxidant enzyme trends moved toward normal after HyL and SoL treatment. In Anti-Alzheimer’s based Morris water and elevated plus maze tests, HyL and SoL displayed memory-enhancing response and anti-anxiety behaviour, respectively. HPLC quantification of dopamine and serotonin revealed a moderate but significant (p<0.05) increase in the level of these neurotransmitters in HyL and SoL groups.ConclusionOverall, the study revealed that hydroponic Lactuca sativa possesses the therapeutic potential to treat diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes.

Determination of Some Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Tomato Seeds Grown in Soils of Different Salinity Classes

Toprak tuzluluğu bitkisel üretimde verim kaybına yol açmakla birlikte doğrudan veya dolaylı olarak tohum verim ve kalitesini de etkilemektedir. Iğdır ovası yazları sıcak ve kurak geçmesi, yıllık ortalama yağış miktarının Türkiye ortalamasının altında olması ve taban suyu yüksekliği nedeniyle yüksek tuzlanma potansiyeli taşımaktadır. Bu durum hali hazırda ovanın bir kısım topraklarının tarım dışı kalmasına yol açmıştır. Bu çalışma ile Iğdır üniversitesi Tarımsal Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezinde bulunan altı farklı toprak tuzluluğuna sahip alanlarda iki yıl hasat edilmiş ‘Süper domates’ genotiplerinde bazı antioksidan enzim aktiviteleri belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Ayrıca çalışma sırasında SOD, KAT ve APX enzim aktiviteleri spektrofotometrik olarak belirlenen tohumlarda doğal poliakrilamit jel elektroforezleri (Doğal PAGE) ayrı ayrı yapılmıştır. Her bir enzim için elektroforez sonrası jellere substrat boyama yapılarak enzimlerin varlığı gösterilmiştir. Elde edilen veriler ışığında tuzlu-alkali topraklarda hasat edilen tohumlarda protein aktivitesi düşük belirlenmişken, en yüksek protein aktivitesi tuzlu topraklardan alınan tohumlarda belirlenmiştir. Toprak tuzluluğunun bitkide oluşturduğu tuz stresi ile tuzlu-alkali alanlarda SOD ve KAT enzim aktiviteleri en yüksek bulunmuşken, normal topraklardan hasat edilen topraklarda SOD ve KAT aktiviteleri daha düşük hesaplanmıştır. APX enzim aktivitelerinde ise normal toprak koşullarında tuzlu-alkali toprak koşullarına doğru aktivitenin arttığı gözlenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar toprak tuzluluğu ve alkaliliğine bağlı olarak bitkide tuz stresinin şiddeti arttıkça hasat edilen tohumlardaki antioksidan enzim aktivitelerinin de arttığını göstermiştir.

Surface Properties and Adherence of Bradyrhizobium diazoefficiens to Glycine max Roots Are Altered When Grown in Soil Extracted Nutrients

Soybean roots are colonized and nodulated by multiple strains of compatible nitrogen-fixing rhizobia primarily belonging to the Genus Bradyrhizobium. Motility towards the root and attachment to root hairs are key determinants of competitive colonization and subsequent nodulation. Bacterial surface properties and motility are known to vary with chemical composition of the culture medium, and root adhesion and nodulation occur in a soil environment rather than laboratory medium. We asked whether the nodulation-promoting factors motility, surface hydrophobicity and surface adhesion of Bradyrhizobium are affected by growth in a soil nutrient environment. B. diazoefficiens USDA 110, 126, 3384, and B. elkanii USDA 26 were grown in mineral salt medium with peptone, yeast extract and arabinose (PSY), and in a soil extracted soluble organic matter (SESOM) medium. Surface hydrophobicity was determined by partitioning into hydrocarbon, motility by transition through soft agar, and surface-exposed saccharides by lectin profiling, followed by biofilm formation and soybean root adhesion capacity of populations. SESOM-grown populations were generally less motile and more hydrophobic. They bound fewer lectins than PSY-grown populations, indicating a simpler surface saccharide profile. SESOM populations of USDA 110 did not form detectable biofilm, but showed increased binding to soy roots. Our results indicate that growth in a soil environment impacts surface properties, motility, and subsequent soy root adhesion propensity. Hence, evaluation of Bradyrhizobium for nodulation efficiency should be performed using soil from the specific field where the soybeans are to be planted, rather than laboratory culture media.

Benefits of Corn-Cob Biochar to the Microbial and Enzymatic Activity of Soybean Plants Grown in Soils Contaminated with Heavy Metals

Synchronous effects of biochar on heavy metals stress, microbial activity and nodulation process in the soil are rarely addressed. This work studied the effects, under greenhouse conditions, of selected heavy metals Cd2+, Pb2+ and Ni2+ on soybean plants grown in two different soils amended with biochar, and studied their effect on the microbial and enzymatic activity. As a result of the interference between heavy metals and biochar, biochar overcame heavy metal problems and maintained a microbial population of major groups (bacteria–fungi). There was an increase in the degree of resistance (RS) of the major microbial groups to heavy metals when biochar was added to the soil under study. Numbers of bacterial nodules significantly increased, particularly by using the higher rate of biochar compared to the control, either by adding biochar alone or by mixing it with the selected heavy metals. The arginase activity was increased by 25.5% and 37.1% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. For urease (UR), the activity was increased by 105% and 83.8% in clay and sandy soil, respectively, compared to the control. As a result, considerations of using biochar as a soil amendment should be first priority.