Mineral Accumulation Research Articles

Assessing the effect of tillage and fertilization on the accumulation of minerals in pearl millet stover

Assessing the effect of tillage and fertilization on the accumulation of minerals in pearl millet stover

Assessing the effect of tillage and fertilization on the accumulation of minerals in pearl millet stover

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] constitutes the third most important cultivated cereal and source of nutrients in Burkina Faso. The study carried out in 2018 and 2019 at the Saria Environment and Agricultural Researches Station aimed to assess the effects of tillage and organo-mineral fertilization on the quantities of minerals accumulated in pearl millet stover that could be used in animal diets as nutritional supplements. The experimental design was a completely randomized block with a split-plot arrangement of treatments, three replications with four tillage methods assigned to main plots and eight organo-mineral fertilizations to subplots. Results showed that the quantities of minerals accumulated in pearl millet stover were affected by tillage methods and organo-mineral fertilizations as well as by their interactive effects. Compost associated with mineral fertilizers resulted in higher accumulations of minerals in pearl millet stover. In terms of tillage methods, the results indicated that ploughing and scarifying were more favorable for greater but not varying mineral accumulations compared to manual zaï and tie-ridging.

Doses of sulfur at topdressing and organic compost supply at planting in the production, quality and content of macronutrients in lettuce seeds

The purpose of this study was to evaluate doses of sulfur applied at topdressing, with and without organic compost supply at planting, in the production, physiological quality and content of macronutrients in lettuce seeds. Ten treatments were evaluated in a 5x2 factorial scheme (five sulfur doses at topdressing x with and without application of organic compost at planting). The experimental design was a randomized block design, with four replicates. The sulfur doses applied at topdressing fertilization were 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg ha-1 of S, in addition to the control treatment (dose zero). Regarding the treatments with organic compost, the dose of 70 t ha-1 of compost (wet basis) was supplied at planting. The following characteristics were evaluated: seed production (mass and number of seeds per plant), seed quality (mass of one thousand seeds, first count of the standard germination test, germination percentage, and germination speed index) and content of macronutrients and mineral accumulation. The organic compost supply at planting increased seed production by 43% compared to the treatment without the application of organic compost, while the doses of sulfur did not affect the production of lettuce seeds. The supply of organic compost increased the accumulation of a great part of the macronutrients, except for the accumulation of calcium. The lettuce seeds quality was not affected by both the main treatments, the sulfur doses at topdressing and the organic compost supply at planting. The descending order of nutrients accumulated in the lettuce seeds was nitrogen> potassium> phosphorus> magnesium> calcium> sulfur.

Study on Failure Mechanism of Mudstone Based on Digital Core and Digital Volume Correlation Method

In order to study the damage evolution law and failure mechanism of mudstone under different stress states, with the help of high-resolution CT scanning equipment, in situ CT scanning experiments of mudstone under uniaxial compression were carried out. Combined with digital core technology and the digital volume image correlation method, the 3D characterization of meso-structure and the evolution process of localized damage in mudstone were analyzed. The research shows that brittle minerals such as quartz in mudstone often exist in the form of agglomerated strips, resulting in the formation of weak structural planes at the contact surfaces of different minerals. There are a large number of primary intergranular pores near the mineral accumulation zone. With the increase in axial load, the connectivity of pores will gradually increase, cracks will gradually emerge, internal pores will develop abnormally, and rocks will reach the critical state of failure; at this time, the throat number and coordination number of pores increase obviously. There was no obvious difference found in the distribution of mineral particles of different sizes, and the slip between mineral zones was mainly dominated by small particles. The accumulated mineral zone was able to easily form a weak surface, and the aggregated mineral zone under loading was easily able to produce local deformation, which is related to the mechanical properties of the mineral zone and its surrounding rock matrix, with the rock failure easily occurring along the junction of the two minerals. The displacement in the polymeric mineral zone was small, the deformation displacement of the rock skeleton dominated by clay minerals near the quartz mineral zone was larger, and the stronger quartz minerals restrained the rock skeleton deformation in the region.

Effect on Broiler Production Performance and Meat Quality of Feeding Ulva lactuca Supplemented with Carbohydrases.

Simple SummaryMacroalgae have been increasingly exploited worldwide for feed, food and biofuel applications, due to their nutritive and bioactive compounds. Green seaweeds belonging to the genus Ulva have high growth rates, which makes them suitable for being cultured in sustainable algae production, such as an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system. This is expected to increase the use of Ulva sp. as an alternative source to conventional feedstuffs (e.g., cereals and soybean meal) for poultry. The objective of the current study was to assess if the incorporation of 15% Ulva lactuca in broiler chickens’ diet, combined or not with carbohydrate-active enzymes, would enhance meat nutritional quality without compromising animal growth performance. Overall, U. lactuca led to an accumulation of antioxidant carotenoids, n-3 PUFA and macrominerals, including magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, in the breast muscle, with likely health benefits, without significantly impairing growth performance. The supplementation of macroalgae with a recombinant ulvan lyase reduced ileal viscosity with possible beneficial effects on broiler digestibility. Although dietary U. lactuca showed potential to increase meat quality, it reduced meat overall acceptability, which suggests the use of a lower algae inclusion level to prevent a negative meat sensory perception for consumers.The aim of the study was to test if feeding 15% U. lactuca to broilers, alone or combined with carbohydrases, enhanced meat nutritional quality, without compromising growth performance. One hundred and twenty 22-day-old broilers were allocated to the following diets and replicated 10 times for 14 days: (1) maize and soy-based diet (control); (2) control with 15% U. lactuca (UL); (3) UL diet with 0.005% commercial carbohydrase mixture (ULC); and (4) UL diet with 0.01% ulvan lyase (ULE). Final body weight and average daily gain decreased (p < 0.050) with the ULE diet compared with the control, but no significant differences were found for the other diets. The intestinal viscosity increased (p < 0.001) with all alga diets but was lowered (p < 0.050) in the ileum with the ULE diet, relative to UL and ULC diets. Meat lightness and redness values, off-flavours, and total carotenoids increased (p < 0.001), while yellow values, tenderness, juiciness, overall acceptability, α- and γ-tocopherol, and total lipids decreased (p < 0.001) with alga diets. The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased (p < 0.050), and the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio decreased (p < 0.001) with the ULE diet. Total minerals in meat increased (p < 0.001) with alga diets, conversely to sodium and zinc (p < 0.001). Feeding 15% of U. lactuca to broilers did not impair growth but increased meat nutritional value through the accumulation of health-promoting antioxidant carotenoids, n-3 PUFA and total minerals, although reducing overall meat acceptability.

Endogenous calcium mediates seedling growth and fluoride stress tolerance in four bean genotypes

Fluoride (F) pollution is a global environmental problem representing a severe risk for food and vegetables grown in contaminated soils. Phaseolus vulgaris L. is widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions and in F contaminated areas of the world. For that reason, F tolerance during germination and seedling growth was evaluated for four bean genotypes: Borlotto nano (commercial variety) and three African genotypes (Lyamungu 85, Lyamungu 90 and Jesca). Seeds were grown in sand enriched with NaF or KF at three different levels (0, 80 and 200 mg kg-1). NaCl was used as a benchmark to determine the potential effect of different Na levels in plant. Total F content and mineral accumulation (Na, K and Ca) in roots and shoots were measured. The translocation factor, growth ratio, F tolerance index were evaluated to estimate plant-salt response. Germination rate decreased with increased F level. Borlotto was more F sensitive (0% germination with 200 mg kg-1of KF and NaF) than the African genotypes. Under the highest F concentration (200 mg kg-1), F preferentially accumulated in shoots (Jesca 75.7 mg kg-1, Lyamungu 85 100.1 mg kg-1 and Lyamungu 90 115.4 mg kg-1). Ca content in roots was negatively correlated to F absorption, suggesting its antagonistic role to F mobility. Based on these parameters, Jesca and Lyamungu 85 were the most tolerant species, recording a low F uptake and a high Ca content in the root. This study highlighted the central role of Ca, as a key secondary messenger in regulating the plant growth and development under F stress. Highlights - F stress negatively affected bean germination and seedling growth - F mainly accumulated in the shoots of bean varieties - Ca concentration in the roots played a crucial role in mitigating F accumulation

Study of possibility of magnetic hydrocyclone use in concentration cycles of oxidized ferriferous quartzites

Iron role is very essential in the up-to-date economics. Magnetite quartzites are the main source of iron making in Russia. Oxidized ferriferous quartzites are also used for accumulation of the Russian mineral and raw material base. Substantial composition and concentration capacity of the represented sample of oxidized iron ore are examined. Ore sample was ground during two stages in a ball mill and IsaMill mill. Comminuted material was classified in magnetic hydrocyclone of original construction. Magnetic system, which was mounted on the hydrocyclone, had been designed using computer software ANSYS Maxwell for simulation of electromagnetic fields and had been manufactured with use of permanent magnets made of Nd&ndash;Fe&ndash;B alloys on the base of rare earth elements. Classifying products in magnetic hydrocyclone were concentrated consequently in low- and high-intensive magnetic fields. Technological scheme for concentration of oxidized ferriferous quartzites was developed. This scheme allows to produce high-quality magnetite concentrate, hematite concentrate and mixed hematite &ndash; magnetite concentrate. The research was conducted at the expense of the grant&nbsp;for execution of the State assignment № FSRW-2020-0014&nbsp;in the field of scientific activity on 2021.

Phytoremediation Potential of Selected Ornamental Woody Species to Heavy Metal Accumulation in Response to Long-Term Irrigation with Treated Wastewater

Arid and semiarid environments of Mediterranean countries suffer from scarcity of water resources, which limits their agriculture productivity. Using treated wastewater (TWW) is considered an alternative strategy for irrigation purposes in such areas. However, TWW contains substantial levels of heavy metals (HMs) and contaminants that pollute the environment and soil. The aim of this study is to evaluate the phytoremediation potential of six selected woody tree species under long-term irrigation with TWW. The concentration, bioaccumulation factor (BFC), translocation factor (TF), and comprehensive bioconcentration index (CBCI) of HMs were measured in the various parts (roots, bark, and leaves) of the studied tree species. The results show a general pattern of mineral accumulation in the roots and low translocation to the areal parts of various species. Cupressus sempervirens, which is a native species in Mediterranean environments, had higher TF values for Fe, Mn, Cu, Cr, Cd, and Pb metals in its areal parts compared to other tree species. The study shows that Ficus nitida has the potential to be a hyperaccumulator for Cd in its bark, with a TF value that exceeds 12. Deciduous trees species (Populus nigra and Robinia pseudoacacia) were found to have high TF values for Ni and Cd toward their areal parts, whereas a higher TF for Cr (1.21) was only found in P. nigra bark. Cupressus sempervirens had, significantly, the highest bark and leaf CBCI values (0.83 and 0.82, respectively), whereas Ficus nitida had the second-highest values in the bark and leaves (0.56 and 0.51, respectively). Therefore, Cupressus sempervirens and Ficus nitida are considered good hyperaccumulators for various HMs, and can be used for phytoremediation activities in polluted areas.

Role of renal function in the association of drinking water fluoride and plasma fluoride among adolescents in the United States: NHANES, 2013–2016.

ContextWhile fluoride has been added to drinking water and dental products for decades in order to prevent tooth decay, there are growing concerns about its potential toxicity. Given that fluoride is primarily excreted in urine, an important question that has not been examined is whether among those whose drinking water is fluoridated, impaired renal function is associated with higher levels of circulating fluoride. ObjectiveTo examine the association between drinking water and plasma fluoride and its modification by renal function. Design, Setting, and Participants: Participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2013 and 2016 with measures of fluoride in plasma and drinking water and renal function. These measures were only available in adolescent age 12–19 years. OutcomesPlasma fluoride levels and their modification by strata of renal function, measured by the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). ResultsAmong 1841 healthy adolescents, a 10 ml/min/1.73 m (Penman et al., 1997) lower eGFR and a 1 mg/L higher drinking water fluoride concentration were associated with a 0.02 (95%CI -0.02, −0.03) umol/L and 0.23 (95%CI 0.15,0.30) umol/L higher adjusted plasma fluoride level, respectively. The association of water and plasma fluoride levels was most robust among those with lower renal function (multiplicative interaction p value < 0.001). For adolescents in the lowest eGFR quartile, a 1 mg/L higher drinking water fluoride concentration was associated with a 0.35 (95%CI 0.21,0.48) umol/L higher plasma fluoride level, compared to 0.20 (95%CI 0.14,0.26) umol/L in the highest eGFR quartile. Restriction to those with measurable plasma fluoride levels yielded similar results. ConclusionsWater fluoridation results in higher plasma fluoride levels in those with lower renal function. How routine water fluoridation may affect the many millions of Americans with Chronic Kidney Disease, who are particularly susceptible to heavy metal and mineral accumulation, needs to be further investigated.

A Mild Case of Autosomal Recessive Osteopetrosis Masquerading as the Dominant Form Involving Homozygous Deep Intronic Variations in the CLCN7 Gene

Osteopetrosis is a heterogeneous group of rare hereditary diseases characterized by increased bone mass of poor quality. Autosomal-dominant osteopetrosis type II (ADOII) is most often caused by mutation of the CLCN7 gene leading to impaired bone resorption. Autosomal recessive osteopetrosis (ARO) is a more severe form and is frequently accompanied by additional morbidities. We report an adult male presenting with classical clinical and radiological features of ADOII. Genetic analyses showed no amino-acid-converting mutation in CLCN7 but an apparent haploinsufficiency and suppression of CLCN7 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Next generation sequencing revealed low-frequency intronic homozygous variations in CLCN7, suggesting recessive inheritance. In silico analysis of an intronic duplication c.595-120_595-86dup revealed additional binding sites for Serine- and Arginine-rich Splicing Factors (SRSF), which is predicted to impair CLCN7 expression. Quantitative backscattered electron imaging and histomorphometric analyses revealed bone tissue and material abnormalities. Giant osteoclasts were present and additionally to lamellar bone, and abundant woven bone and mineralized cartilage were observed, together with increased frequency and thickness of cement lines. Bone mineralization density distribution (BMDD) analysis revealed markedly increased average mineral content of the dense bone (CaMean T-score + 10.1) and frequency of bone with highest mineral content (CaHigh T-score + 19.6), suggesting continued mineral accumulation and lack of bone remodelling. Osteocyte lacunae sections (OLS) characteristics were unremarkable except for an unusually circular shape. Together, our findings suggest that the reduced expression of CLCN7 mRNA in osteoclasts, and possibly also osteocytes, causes poorly remodelled bone with abnormal bone matrix with high mineral content. This together with the lack of adequate bone repair mechanisms makes the material brittle and prone to fracture. While the skeletal phenotype and medical history were suggestive of ADOII, genetic analysis revealed that this is a possible mild case of ARO due to deep intronic mutation.

Foliar selenium biofortification of broccolini: effects on plant growth and mineral accumulation

ABSTRACT Foliar biofortification is one effective way to alleviate the inadequate intake of selenium (Se) of millions of people worldwide. To evaluate the efficacy of foliar Se application in broccolini (a new hybrid crop variety derived from a cross between kalian cabbage and broccoli), three treatments were tested: 0, 0.05% or 0.10% (w/v) sodium selenate, applied at the early flowering stage. Florets were harvested in four sequential harvests, showing that both yield and nutritional composition were better in the early harvests, producing fewer but heavier and nutrient-richer florets. Although no overall effects on biomass were observed, the increase in total Se concentrations was more than 80- and 170-folds in both root and shoot of 0.05% and 0.10% Se, respectively, and by 270- and 600-fold in the florets. Although boiling resulted in > 50% loss of Se, an intake of 100 g of fresh weight boiled broccolini biofortified with 0.05% Se treatment will provide ~590 μg Se day−1. This amount is in excess of the tolerable upper limit for Se intake. Therefore, whilst broccolini is clearly a good Se accumulator with the potential to be biofortified with Se, lower application rates would need to be determined to be used for human food purposes.

Prediction and Assessment of Minerals Contamination in Groundwater: Analytical Tools Approach

Accumulation of minerals in groundwater over years degrades the water quality and thus affects the surrounding ecosystem if left untreated. Rapid urbanization and industrialization paves way for serious harm to the natural resources; particularly for the water bodies. One such study area is chosen for this analytical investigation to predict the consecutive concentration of important minerals for the next five years with some prediction tools. Artificial Neural Network, Support Vector Machine, and, Deep Learning methods are adopted for prediction analysis. The results of MSE, RMSE, and MAPE in each mentioned method were compared and concluded which performed better for the collected data of mineral concentration. Among these tools, SVM showed better results with less error and efficient accuracy (MSE-64.31, RMSE-8.07, and MAPE-3.92) though the other two techniques gave slight accuracy. The annual rainfall values are highly correlated with the mineral values in which the decreasing trend shows the mineral values when rainfall is higher and vice versa. These predicted values aids in creating awareness among the local residents as well as preventing the further pollution of the groundwater by the accumulation of minerals.

Arbuscular Mycorrhiza mediated mineral biofortification and arsenic toxicity mitigation in Triticum aestivum L.

The potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in augmenting arsenic (As) tolerance in wheat is well recognized; however, its effect on mineral profile of grains under As stress is not known. The study was performed to assess the effectiveness of Rhizophagus intraradices on acquisition, translocation, and accumulation of minerals in grains of wheat grown in three As levels (0, 25, and 50 mg As kg−1 soil). Inoculation of R. intraradices decreased As accumulation, increased macronutrients uptake, and ensured higher accumulation of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg in grains. However, its influence was non-significant on S concentration in grains. Presence of As in soil reduced Zn, Ni, and Se and augmented Fe, Na, and Mn concentrations in wheat roots. Conversely, translocation of Fe, Na, and Mn to grains declined significantly and concentrations of Fe, Na, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Se reduced in grains with increasing As level in soil. Regardless of lower concentration of Fe and Mn in roots, mycorrhizal (M)-plants maintained higher concentrations of Zn, Mn, Fe, Ni, Se, and Mo in grains than non-inoculated (NI)-plants. Although, mycorrhizal status of plant had non-significant effect on grain phytic acid concentration, R. intraradices significantly increased the bioavailability of Fe and Zn in grains, which was primarily due to enhanced accumulation of Fe and Zn. While bioavailability of Zn improved from poor to moderate, bioavailability of Fe in M-plants, although higher than NI-plants, remained below the desired level.Overall, the study advocates that in addition to limiting As accumulation in grains, AMF could also provide augmented levels of P, N, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Se in grains, thus can aid in overcoming the mineral deficiencies for populations consuming wheat-based diets especially in As contaminated areas.

RESEARCH ON THE INFLUENCE OF ORGANIC AND MINERAL FERTILIZERS ON RAPESEED YIELD AND ASH COMPOSITION OF ITS OIL SEEDS

The article presents results of a field experiment with application of mineral (NPK and zeolite) and organic fertilizers in the technology of spring rapeseed cultivation, as well as a comparative analysis of the ash composition of rape seeds of Rif variety, depending on the variants of the research. Six variants were studied: growing plants without fertilization (control); mineral fertilizer N60: P60: K60 alone and in combination with zeolite (5 t/ha); pure zeolite (5 t/ha); chicken manure (5 t/ha) alone and in combination with zeolite (5 t/ha). Accumulation of nine main elements (wt., %) contained in the ash of spring rapeseed seeds was studied by the method of energy dispersive spectrometry (X-Ray-analysis). The order of element accumulation was determined: P ≈ K&gt;Mg ≥ Ca&gt;Mo&gt; S&gt;Zn&gt;Mn&gt;Fe. The proportion of P is from 10.852 to 11.855 wt. %; the proportion of K is from 9.933 to 12.343 wt.%; Mg, Ca and Mo are present in rape seeds in similar concentrations within 4.0 -5.8 wt.%. Mutual usage of zeolite and organic fertilizer provided an increase of mineral accumulation in the seeds. Correlations between the elements were established. Higher level of macro- and microelements in seeds, necessary for humans, brings about good perspectives to create functional products based on the studied rape seeds for food enrichment. Positive effect of combined organo-mineral fertilizers on accumulation of mineral substances in rape seeds was established.

Differential Response to NaCl Osmotic Stress in Sequentially Harvested Hydroponic Red and Green Basil and the Role of Calcium.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is a heterogeneous reservoir of bioactive compounds that provide recognized benefits to human health, rendering it a model aromatic herb. Notwithstanding the application of nutritional stress, such as sodium chloride (NaCl) salinity, which mainly affects the primary metabolism, it also triggers adaptive mechanisms that involve the production of bioactive secondary metabolites. Genotype selection and the exogenous application of calcium chloride (CaCl2) help minimize salinity’s suppressive effects on growth. In the present study, we hypothesize that the ratio of different salt types may induce differential responses in the function of preharvest factors in hydroponic basil culture. In this perspective, the stock nutrient solution (Control) was supplemented with 12.5 mm NaCl + 8.33 mm CaCl2 (Moderate Mix), 25 mm NaCl (Moderate NaCl), 25 mm NaCl + 16.66 of CaCl2 (High Mix), or 50 mM of NaCl (High NaCl) with the objective of evaluating the different impact of salinity on yield, sensory quality (color and aroma profile), and the accumulation of minerals and bioactive compounds in two successive harvests of green and red basil cultivars. Although more productive (+39.0% fresh weight) than the red one, the green cultivar exhibited higher susceptibility to salinity, especially under the High Mix and High NaCl treatments. The addition of CaCl2 to the High Mix solution reduced the sodium by 70.4% and increased the total polyphenols by 21.5% compared to the equivalent isomolar solution (High NaCl). The crop performance in terms of fresh and dry yield improved for both cultivars at the second cut. Regardless of cultivar and salt treatment, successive harvests also increased the concentration of phenols and vitamin C (29.7 and 61.5%, respectively) while reducing (−6.9%) eucalyptol, the most abundant aromatic compound in both cultivars. Salinity, as well as the mechanical stress induced by cutting, improved the functional quality of basil. However, the productive responses to the conditions imposed in our work once again highlighted the importance of genetic background. Specifically, CaCl2 in the Moderate Mix solution preserved fresh leaf weight in the most stress-sensitive green cultivar.

Combined Use of Novel Endophytic and Rhizobacterial Strains Upregulates Antioxidant Enzyme Systems and Mineral Accumulation in Wheat

Wheat is the third largest grown crop after maize and rice worldwide. Integrated use of chemical and biofertilizers have the potential to improve crop yield and quality due to their growth-promoting attributes. Therefore, the present study planned to evaluate the effectiveness of endophytic (Paenibacillus sp. strain (ZE11), Bacillus subtilis (ZE15) and Bacillus megaterium (ZE32)) and rhizobacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis (ZR2) Bacillus subtilis (ZR3) and Bacillus megaterium strain (ZR19)), solely and in combination, to increase the productivity of wheat and microbial activity in the rhizosphere. The maximum increase in microbial biomass carbon (44%), available phosphorous (30%), ammonium–nitrogen (24%), nitrate–nitrogen (37%), iron (10%), zinc (11%) and bacterial population (31%) was recorded by co-inoculation of ZE11 + ZR3. Subsequently, co-inoculation of ZE11+ZR3 showed a maximum increase of 31%, 29%, 30%, 27%, 33%, 30%, 25%, 9%, 15%, 9%, 18% and 26% in superoxidase dismutase (SOD), peroxidase dismutase (POD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POX), grain yield, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron and zinc in grains, respectively, as compared to uninoculated control. The sole inoculation of ZR19 showed maximum harvest index (45.5%). The sole inoculation of endophytes and rhizobacteria has a significant effect on growth, physiology, and wheat crop yield. However, co-inoculation had a better effect and can be used to develop multi-strain biofertilizer to promote growth and yield of crops.

Accumulation of essential mineral and toxic trace elements in crops and soils of vegetable cropping systems in central highlands of Sri Lanka

AbstractVegetables are widely cultivated in high rainfall and mountainous regions in Sri Lanka with poor soil conservation practices. Accumulation of essential mineral and toxic trace elements in the soils and widely cultivated vegetables of this region are poorly understood. One hundred soil and vegetable (i.e. cabbage, carrot and potato) samples were collected at the time of harvest and analysed for element concentrations. Soils contained high concentrations of essential mineral (N, P, K, Cu, Zn and Mn) and toxic trace elements (As, Cd and Pb). When comparing edible parts, cabbage contained the highest concentrations of mineral and toxic trace elements, and potato contained the lowest. Irrespective of the crop, edible parts contained high concentrations of N, P, K (14–35, 2–6, 15–24 g/kg, respectively), and Cu, Zn, Mn (2.5–6.7, 11–30, 8–147 mg/kg, respectively). Vegetables also contained As, Cd and Pb (0.04–1, 0.02–0.15, 0.02–0.26 mg/kg, respectively), but did not exceed the maximum permissible limits. Irrespective of the crop, 36–64 kg N, 6–11 kg P and 35–45 kg K per ha were removed with the harvest. According to the current rate of vegetable consumption by Sri Lankans (i.e. 240 g fresh weight (FW) per day), per capita consumption of 0.05–0.2 mg Cu, 0.45–0.65 mg Zn and 0.5–2 mg Mn per day through these vegetables was observed, i.e. 5–23% Cu, 7.5–11% Zn and 22–87% Mn of the recommended daily intake. Vegetables grown in the region served as a key source of essential mineral elements. However, agronomic mitigation strategies are needed to improve soil health and sustainability of these cropping systems.

Establishing Formation Features of Limnogenic Minerals

This article considers the formation conditions of nonmetallic and ore minerals in limnogenic structures. Lakes naturally enrich a wide range of useful components – silicate, carbonate, water-soluble substances, ores, and organominerals. The most significant resources of modern lakes, apart from water, include sapropels, diatomites, lime, and mineral salts. Deposits of sand, clay, oil shale, oil and gas, coal, phosphorites, zeolites, evaporites, bauxites, ferromanganese, copper ores, placer minerals, and some rare and dispersed elements are associated with limnogenic complexes of different ages. The authors show that a greater variety of minerals of ancient lacustrine complexes compared to modern ones is associated both with variations of lacustrine lithogenesis in the past and with post-sedimentation transformations of sedimentary matter. A particular note is taken about the epigenetic enrichment of ancient lacustrine complexes with ore components. Hydrocarbons and diatomites of lacustrine genesis are of a higher quality compared to similar minerals of marine genesis. The evolutionary changes in the processes of accumulation of limnogenic minerals have affected biogenic and chemogenic components to a large extent. An example of this is the progressive accumulation of caustobiolites and the sulfate evolution of evaporites in lacustrine structures during the Phanerozoic age. An analysis of the genetic characteristics of lacustrine minerals makes it possible to develop new exploratory traits of some sedimentary deposits.

A deep neural network method for solving partial differential equations with complex boundary in groundwater seepage

High dimensional stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) attract a lot of attention because of their application in uncertainty quantification (UQ) of ore deposits, petroleum geology and other fields. The groundwater flow in heterogeneous media affects all geological processes, including diagenesis, mineralization and oil accumulation. A point of the deep neural network (DNN) method in machine learning is that it can effectively output the solution of the SPDEs with the complex boundaries such as Newman boundary in a direct way. We propose a novel methodology to construct approximate solutions for SPDEs in groundwater flow by combining two deep convolutional residual networks, which can complete the training without interference in the help of an adaptive functional factor. One of the two network models deals with the inner observed points and the other one is required to satisfy the boundary conditions. This model has great potential for solving more complex boundary problems. Another contribution of this work is that the loss function to train the proposed DNN is obtained by deducing the energy functional based on the variational principles, which integrates the physical meaning into the proposed DNN. In addition, we theoretically prove that the minimization loss function problem has a unique solution, and it always conforms to the weak solution form of the problem no matter how the uncertain parameters change. An unconstrained optimization problem, rather than a constrained problem, can be solved without adding any penalty terms. The practical application shows that our model has low computational cost and strong efficiency for solving high-dimensional SPDEs.

Identification of genomic regions conferring rust resistance and enhanced mineral accumulation in a HarvestPlus Association Mapping Panel ofwheat.

New genomic regions for high accumulation of 10 minerals were identified. The 1B:1R and 2NS translocations enhanced concentrations of four and two minerals, respectively, in addition to disease resistance. Puccinia species, the causal agents of rust diseases of wheat, have the potential to cause total crop failures due their high evolutionary ability to acquire virulence for resistance genes deployed in commercial cultivars. Hence, the discovery of genetically diverse sources of rust resistance is essential. On the other hand, biofortification of wheat for essential nutrients, such as zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), is also an objective in wheat improvement programs to tackle micronutrient deficiency. The development of rust-resistant and nutrient-concentrated wheat cultivars would be important for sustainable production and the fight against malnutrition. The HarvestPlus association mapping panel (HPAMP) that included nutrient-dense sources from diverse genetic backgrounds was genotyped using a 90K Infinium SNP array and 13 markers linked with rust resistance genes. The HPAMP was used for genome-wide association mapping to identify genomic regions underpinning rust resistance and mineral accumulation. Twelve QTL for rust resistance and 53 for concentrations of 10 minerals were identified. Comparison of results from this study with the published QTL information revealed the detection of already known and some putatively new genes/QTL underpinning stripe rust and leaf rust resistance in this panel. Thirty-six new QTL for mineral concentration were identified on 17 chromosomes. Accessions carrying the 1B:1R translocation accumulated higher concentrations of Zn, Fe, Copper (Cu) and sulphur (S). The 2NS segment showed enhanced accumulation of grain Fe and Cu. Fifteen rust-resistant and biofortified accessions were identified for use as donor sources in breeding programs.