Yield of Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>) and Nutrient Uptake in Grain and Straw as Influenced by Some Macro (S &Mg) and Micro (B &Zn) Nutrients

A wheat variety BARI Gom 26 was cultivated with an objective of evaluating the effects of macro/secondary nutrients as S and Mg, and micro nutrients as B and Zn on yield, yield contributing traits and nutrient uptake status by the crop. The field experiment was con-ducted in the “North Eastern Barind Tract Soils” at Kushadaha, Nawabganj, Dinajpur, Bangladesh from November, 2014 to March, 2015. The surface soil was clay in texture, having pH 5.61, organic matter 1.58%, total N 0.10%, available P 7.03 ppm, exchangeable K 0.11 meq/100g, available S 2.57 ppm, exchangeable Mg 0.55 meq/100g, available Zn 1.30 ppm, available B 0.08 ppm. The experiment was designed with five treatments laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The treatments were T1: NPK (control), T2: NPK + S, T3: NPK + S + Mg, T4: NPK + S + Mg + Zn and T5: NPK + S + Mg + Zn + B. All plots of wheat received 100 kg N/ha, 30 kg P/ha and 70 kg K/ha as basal dose. The secondary and micro nutrients doses were 15 kg S/ha, 6 kg Mg/ha, 2.5 kg Zn/ha and 1.5 kg B/ha. Results revealed that the plant height, tillers/hill, 1000-grain weight, yield of grain and straw, uptake of some specific nutrients in grain and straw were signifi-cantly influenced by all the treatments, though these treatments did not show any identical effect on spike length, content of P and Mg in wheat. Significantly highest amount of 1000-grain weight, yield of grain and straw weight of wheat were obtained in applying T2 treatment that employed the addition of S with recommended dose of NPK. Significant positive effects were also observed for the rest parameters in receiving the treatments composed of secondary and micronutrients (T3, T4, and T5). The highest concentration of nutrient uptake N, P, K and S in grain and straw of wheat were also obtained due to the application of T2 treatment. In the case of Mg, the maximum uptake was recorded in T4 where Mg was added as a component of this treatment. In contrast, the highest content of Zn and B were extracted in receiving the treatment T5 both for grain and straw. However, results suggested that T2 treatment comprising recommended dose of NPK with S might be economic and suitable as for better production of 1000-grain weight, yield of grain and straw, uptake of N, P, K and S in grain and straw of wheat cultivated in the North Eastern Barind Tract Soils of Bangladesh under winter condition. The treatment T5 would also be recommended in the context of addition of micronutrients.

Comparison of growth and nutrient uptake capacities of three dominant species of Qinhuangdao green tides

Since 2015, green tides have been blooming in offshore waters of Qinhuangdao, with serious impacts on the local ecological environment and tourism. Ulva australis, Bryopsis plumosa, and U. prolifera are the dominant species of Qinhuangdao green tides, following a sequential succession pattern. Ulva prolifera is the dominant species,with the highest biomass and the greatest influence on the local ecological environment. To study the reason of green tide dominant species succession and U. profilera became the dominant species with the largest biomass,we compared and analyzed the growth and nutrient uptake capacity of the three algae. The results showed that temperature significantly affects the growth of the three species. Within the temperature range of the experimental setup, the optimum temperature for the growth of U. australis, B. plumosa and U. profilera is10℃, 15℃, and 20–25℃, respectively. Combined with the temperature variation trend during green tide bloom development, we believe that temperature is the key environmental factor for the succession of the dominant species. Ulva prolifera has a higher growth rate than U. australis and B. plumosa under the same nitrate,ammonium, and phosphate levels. Significant differences in the maximum absorption rate(R_(max)) and R_(max)/Ks(the relationship between uptake rate and substrate concentration) values indicated that U. prolifera had an apparent competitive advantage over U. australis and B. plumosa regarding nutrient uptake. Therefore, the strong growth and nutrient uptake capacities of U. prolifera might be the main reason for becoming the dominant species with the largest biomass in Qinhuangdao green tides.

Effect of Effluent from Biodigestion of Pre-Treated Rice Bran and Animal Manure on the Dry Matter Yield and Nutrient Uptake of <i>Amaranthus viridis</i>

The effect of effluents from biodigestion of pre-treated rice bran in combination with two types of animal manure on dry matter yield of Amarathus viridis was investigated using two pre-treatment methods: Soaking in ordinary distilled water and boiled in distilled water at 100°C. The pre-treated rice bran and animal manure were mixed (w/w basis) to give carbon to nitrogen ratio of 35:1 and 37:1 prior to loading into the digester to make eight different treatment combinations as follow: 1) Cow dung with no rice bran (NRB + CD);2) Raw rice bran + cow dung (RRB + CD);3) Soaked rice bran in ordinary distilled water + cow dung (SRB + CD);4) Boiled rice bran + cow dung (BRB + CD);5) Poultry manure with no rice bran (NRB + PM);6) Raw rice bran + poultry manure (RRB + PM);7) Soaked rice bran + poultry manure (SRB + PM);8) Boiled rice bran + poultry manure (BRB + PM). Samples of different treatment combinations were collected before digestion, both the samples and resultant effluents were subjected to elemental analysis using AAS. The effluents from the biodigestion of these combinations were applied at two rates (80 and 150 kg N ha-1) to 3 kg air-dried and sieved soil samples (0 - 20) cm in the greenhouse, control (0 kg N ha-1) and reference pot with NPK fertilizer at the 80 kg N ha-1 were arranged in a completely randomized design replicated three times. Amaranthus plants were introduced into each treated pot, left for four weeks before harvest, dry matter yields were recorded. Results of chemical analysis of raw materials and effluents obtained after biodigestion revealed the presence of all plant nutrients in both the raw materials and resultant effluents though the former had higher values in some nutrients than the effluent, for examples treatment combination of CD, the values for organic carbon (42.85%), Ca (3.41%) and Mg (0.61%) were higher than in the resultant effluent for CD, a similar trend was observed with other treatment combinations. Drastic reduction in heavy metal concentration was observed after digestion, Pb content in the raw materials for poultry manure reduced by 94.7% in the resultant effluent from BRB: PM thus making the effluent a better soil amendment. Raw chicken manure was richer in the nutrients needed for optimal crop growth however, raw cow dung had the highest. The amendment of effluent from boiled rice bran with poultry manure at 150 kg N ha-1 significantly increased the dry matter yield of Amaranthus viridis over control pots, NPK pots and all other amendments thus making it a good alternative to NPK fertilizer.

Availability of Residual and/or Applied Inorganic Phosphorus for Sugarcane Uptake and Growth in a Post-Mined Reconstituted Soil

Mineral sands mining is worldwide an environmental issue and also at the Hillendale mine in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The post-mined soil is to be rehabilitated to sugarcane cropping. One of the concerns with the post-mined soil which is reconstituted with a 70:30 mixture of sand: slimes (silt-plus-clay fraction), is its low phosphorus (P) status, which could be limiting for optimum sugarcane production. A field experiment was conducted on a reconstituted soil at Hillendale to establish the availability of either residual or applied inorganic P to the plant and first ratoon sugarcane crop. Four treatments were evaluated including those where P fertilizer was omitted, applied at half the recommended rate or introduced equal to the recommended rate according to chemical analysis of the soil. In the fourth treatment, no fertilizer was applied at all, whereas nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) were added at recommended rates in the first three treatments. Phosphorus application had a significant effect on sugarcane fractional light interception and aboveground biomass yield of the plant and first ratoon crops, and stalk length and diameter of the first ratoon crop. Pol, brix, purity and fibre content and tiller number were not affected by P application. The application of P increased the foliar N, P, K, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulphur (S) contents of both crops. However, foliar N, P and K were deficient in the first ratoon crop even in the case where fertilizer was applied at the recommended rates, which could have been because of waterlogging. The possible effect of waterlogging on P uptake needs to be addressed in future studies in this reconstituted soil.

Efficiency of seed bio-priming technique for healthy mungbean productivity under terminal drought stress

Recently, drought-induced damaging impact in reducing the crop growth and development is drastically ranked at the top under various abiotic stresses. And especially water stress at the reproductive growth stages termed as terminal drought has become a severe threat for mungbean productivity. To mitigate the drought stress condition, "bio-priming" has emerged as a newly agronomic and sustainable technique in improving the mungbean production. A 2-year field study during Kharif season 2017–2018 was conducted to investigate the efficacy of rhizobacteria seed priming in mungbean(AZRI mung-06), at Agronomic Research Area, Department of Agronomy, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan. The experiment comprised two factors containing FA(seed treatments, control(dry seeds), hydro-priming, silicon(Si)-priming, and bio-priming(mixture strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens+Rhizobium phaseoli)) and FB(irrigation water-regimes at various growth stages including leaf formation(L), stem elongation(S)+flowering(F)+pod formation(P) containing treatments are normal irrigation(I(L+S+F+P)) and terminal drought stress(I(F+P))). All the treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design under factorial design and were replicated thrice. Results indicated that the exposure of drought stress at flowering and pod formation stages hampered the morpho-physiological growth and yield of mungbean. Nevertheless, seed priming treatments particularly bio-priming were effective in alleviating the detrimental effects of drought stress. Bio-priming significantly increased the yield and yield components(seeds/plant, 1 000-grain weight and harvest index) of mungbean and regulated the activities/levels of antioxidants(superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, ascorbic acid, and total phenolics) under drought stress. Compared with the control, bio-priming increased the seed yield of mungbean by 8–12% under normal as well as drought stress conditions during both years of study. Bio-priming also improved the nutrient uptake behavior followed by Si-and hydro-priming treatments under terminal drought stress. The study emphasized the effectiveness of bio-priming as dual seed treatment method may be helpful for vigorous germination of mungbean production along with plant tolerance against terminal drought stress. Among the various treatments, plants treated with bio-priming technique compensated the grain yield due to having strong antioxidant defense system and better nutrient uptake behaviour under terminal drought stress. Economic analysis also concluded that bio-priming is the easiest, cost-effective, friendly, and sustainable approach for the maximization of the mungbean production.

Photosynthetic Behaviour and Mineral Nutrition of Tamarix gallica Cultivated Under Aluminum and NaCl Combined Stress

The lack of knowledge of plant tolerance and differential response to aluminum(Al)encouraged many researchers,in the last decade,to elucidate Al toxicity and tolerance mechanisms.The current study reported the impact of Al,a toxic element with negative effects on plant growth and development,in halophytic plant Tamarix gallica.Plants were subjected to different Al concentrations(0,200,500 and 800μM)with or without NaCl(200 mM)supplementation.Growth,photosynthesis and mineral content were assessed.Al stress had a significant decrease on shoots’biomass production between 19 to 41%,and a little variation on chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency(Fo,Fm,Fv fluorescence’s and Fv/Fm).Furthermore,the Al-treatments did not affect significantly the content of potassium,calcium,and magnesium in different plant parts,whereas NaCl addition to the medium induced a decrease in these elements’concentrations.Our results have shown that T.gallica is able to accumulate the high levels of Al in shoots and roots,6288μg.g^(-1) DW and 7834μg.g^(-1) DW respectively.It is considered as a hyperaccumulator plant of Al.In addition,Na+contents in shoots and roots exceed 23000μg.g^(-1) DW.Therefore,T.gallica presents a high tolerance at the same time to Al and NaCl phytotoxicity,so it is interesting to use in phytoremediation programs.

Selenium Alleviates Carbohydrate Metabolism and Nutrient Composition in Arsenic Stressed Rice Plants

This study reported the influence of selenium(Se)on carbohydrate composition and some related enzymes and nutrient compositions of arsenic(As)stressed rice plants.Rice plants of cultivar PR126 were grown on soil amended with As in a range of 25-100μmol/kg with and without 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg Se.Total soluble sugars(TSS)and reducing sugars(RS)increased in leaves of As stressed plants at the tillering and grain filling stages whereas sucrose and starch contents showed the reverse trend.Se supplementation to As stressed plants further increased TSS and RS,and enhanced sucrose phosphate synthase activity in rice leaves,thus improving sucrose content and the tolerance to As stress of the plants.Se alone or in combination with As resulted in lower As accumulation in rice husk and grains,and the highest reduction was observed in Se applied at 1.0 mg/kg compared to the corresponding As treatments alone.As may limit the accumulations of Na,Mg,K,Ca,Fe,Zn and Mn in rice grains,which are essential for humans.Binary application of different combinations of As and Se protected the plants against As and increased the mineral content in rice grains.Addition of Se in As treated soil significantly alleviated As stress by enhancing grain yields compared to the corresponding As treatment.It is concluded that Se induced amelioration of the toxic impact of As in rice either by modulating carbohydrate composition and/or nutrient uptake is one of the mechanisms to alleviate As stress in plants.

Effects of Microbial Inoculants on Nutrient Availability and Rice Yield

Under fi eld conditions,an experiment was conducted to study the effects of ammonifi cation bacteria,potassium bacteria and phosphorus bacteria on nutrient availability in soil and yield of rice in the cold region of China and compared to the conventional fertilization.Results showed that DF1P2 treatment(ammonifi ers 1.5×10~8 cfu·m^(-2),phosphorus bacteria 1.5×10~8 cfu·m^(-2),and potassium bacteria 1.5×10~8 cfu·m^(-2))increased available nutrient concentrations in soil,increased the concentrations of N,P,and K in plant organs and increased the rice yield and was the most signifi cantly among all the treatments.This treatment could be recommended as the best suitable biological fertilizer application rate for the rice production in the cold region of China.

Source of mycorrhizal inoculum influences growth of Faidherbia albida seedlings

Poor land use management and practice inhibit the growth and establishment of tree seedlings in dryland areas.We assessed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AM)status of Faidherbia albida(Del.)A.Chev.trees grown on different land uses.We quantified the growth and nutrient uptake of F.albida seedlings inoculated with AM from different sources.These efforts were based on soil and fine root samples from the rhizosphere soils of F.albida trees.AM root colonization was determined using the gridline intersect method.Spores were extracted by the wet sieving and decanting method and identified to genus level.The seedling experiment had a completely randomized onefactorial design with four treatments and five replications.Faidherbida albida seedlings were grown in a greenhouse.All in situ F.albida trees were colonized by AM fungi.AM root colonization of F.albida trees was significantly higher(P<0.0086)in area exclosures than on lands used for grazing or cultivation.Spore abundance was significantly higher(P<0.0014)in area exclosures followed by cultivated land and grazing land.Glomus was the dominant genus in all land-uses.AM-inoculated F.albida seedlings grew better(P<0.05)than non-inoculated controls.Seedlings inoculated with AM from area exclosure had significantly(P<0.05)higher growth and nutrient uptake than those inoculated with AM from grazing and cultivated land.This emphasizes the importance of the native soil AM potential for better establishment of seedlings to achieve optimum plant growth improvement and assist in rehabilitation of degraded arid lands.

Effects of dietary menthol-rich bioactive lipid compounds on zootechnical traits,blood variables and gastrointestinal function in growing sheep

Background:The present study aimed at investigating the influence of 90%menthol-containing plant bioactive lipid compounds(PBLC,essential oils)on growth performance,blood haematological and biochemical profile,and nutrient absorption in sheep.Twenty-four growing Suffolk sheep were allotted into three dietary treatments:Control(without PBLC),lower dose of PBLC(PBLC-L;80 mg/d)and higher dose of PBLC(PBLC-H;160 mg/d).Sheep in all groups were fed meadow hay ad libitum plus 600 g/d of concentrate pellets for 28 d.Results:Average daily gain was not affected by treatment.Feeding of PBLC increased hay and total feed intake per kg body weight(P<0.05).Counts of total leucocytes,lymphocytes and monocytes were not different among treatments.However,neutrophil count decreased(P<0.05)in PBLC-H with a similar trend in PBLC-L(P<0.10).Concentrations of glucose,bilirubin,triglycerides,cholesterol,urea and magnesium in serum were not different among sheep fed different doses of PBLC.However,serum calcium concentration tended to increase in PBLC-H(P<0.10)and serum concentrations of aspartate&asparagine(P<0.01)and glutamate&glutamine(P<0.05)increased linearly with increasing PBLC dose.In ruminal epithelia isolated from the rumen after killing,baseline conductance(Gt;P<0.05)and short-circuit current(Isc;P<0.01)increased in both PBLC groups.Ruminal uptakes of glucose and methionine in the presence of Na+were not affected by the dietary PBLC supplementation.In the absence of Na+,however,glucose and methionine uptakes increased(P<0.05)in PBLC-H.In the jejunum,Isc tended to increase in PBLC-H(P<0.10),but baseline Gtwas not affected.Intestinal uptakes of glucose and methionine were not influenced by PBLC in the presence or absence of Na+.Conclusion:The results suggest that menthol-rich PBLC increase feed intake,and passive ion and nutrient transport,the latter specifically in the rumen.They also increased serum concentrations of urea precursor amino acids and tended to increase serum calcium concentrations.Future studies will have to show whether some of these findings might be commonly linked to a stimulation of transient receptor potential(TRP)channels in the gastrointestinal tract.

Effect of Different Levels of Water Soluble Phosphorus in Complex Fertilizers on Crop Productivity and Soil Health

Field experiments were undertaken on sandy soils with three cropping systems at Giridih,Jharkhand,India for two years during 2012-2014.The experiments were executed in split plot design by assigning water soluble phosphorus(WSP)fertilizers in main-plot and recommended dose of phosphorus(RDP)in sub-plot with three replications.The maximum economical yield of rice(4705 kg/ha),baby corn(842 kg/ha)and Chickpea(920 kg/ha)were recorded with the application of 30%WSP.The maximum economical yield of successive crops-wheat(3185 kg/ha),mustard(1720 kg/ha)and groundnut(1578 kg/ha)were recorded with the application of 30%WSP and 100%RDP treatment.Almost similar trends were noticed in terms of by-product yield,nutrient uptake and residual soil fertility status.All the levels of WSP(30%-89%)in complex fertilizers were found to be equally effective for grain yield,straw yield,nutrient uptake,and residual soil fertility.

Effects of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria and N Source on Plant Growth and N and P Uptake by Tomato Grown on Calcareous Soils

Introducing specific microorganisms into the soil ecological system is an important strategy for improving nutrient use efficiency.Two pot experiments were conducted in the greenhouse from December 3, 2012 to January 25, 2013(Experiment 1) and March 11 to April 23, 2013(Experiment 2) to evaluate the effect of nitrogen(N) source and inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria(PGPR) on plant growth and N and phosphorus(P) uptake in tomato(Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) grown on calcareous soils from South Florida, USA.Treatments included urea, controlled release urea(a controlled release fertilizer, CRF) each at low and high N rates and with or without inoculation of PGPR.A mixture of PGPR strains Bacillus amyloliquefaciens IN937 a and Bacillus pumilus T4 was applied to the soil during growing periods of tomato.Treatments with PGPR inoculation increased plant height compared to treatments without PGPR in both experiments.Inoculation with PGPR increased shoot dry weight and shoot N uptake for the same N rate and N source.In both experiments, only at high N rate, CRF and urea treatments with PGPR had significantly(P < 0.05)greater shoot biomass than those without PGPR.Only at high N rate, CRF treatment with PGPR significantly increased shoot N uptake by 39.0% and 10.3% compared to that without PGPR in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively.Meanwhile, presence of PGPR in the soil increased shoot P uptake for all treatments in Experiment 1 and for most treatments in Experiment 2.In Experiment 1, only at low N rate, CRF treatment with PGPR significantly increased shoot P uptake compared with that without PGPR.In Experiment2, a significant increase in shoot P uptake by inoculation of PGPR was only observed in CRF treatment at high N rate.Results from this study indicate that inoculation with PGPR may increase plant growth and N and P uptake by tomato grown on calcareous soils.However, the effect of PGPR varied and was influenced by many factors such as N source, N rate, and soil fertility.Further investigations are warranted to confirm the effect of PGPR under different soil conditions.

Coupling effects of water and nitrogen on photosynthetic characteristics,nitrogen uptake,and yield of sunflower under drip irrigation in an oasis

An experiment was conducted in an oasis area in northwest China to assess the coupling effects of water and nitrogen supply through drip irrigation on photosynthetic characteristics,nitrogen uptake,and yield of sunflower(Helianthus annuus L.),as well as the nitrate distribution in the root-zone soil.The experiment included three irrigation levels(210[W1],300[W2],and 390[W3]mm),three nitrogen levels(162[N1],232[N2],and 302[N3]kg/hm^(2)),and control treatment(no fertilization during whole growth period and only irrigated at the budding stage).A nitrogen content over-accumulation in the soil was observed under the low irrigation amount with high fertilizer supply,which cannot enhance the sunflowers’absorption of nitrogen.Excessive irrigation caused leach of the soil nitrogen,reduced nitrogen content in the root-zone soil(0-40 cm)and limited nitrogen uptake by the crop.Although low irrigation amount with high fertilizer supply can increase the nitrogen content in the soil,it cannot enhance the sunflowers’absorption of nitrogen.At the vegetative stage of sunflower growth,the accumulation of nitrogen in the organs was mainly concentrated in the leaves,while it was transferred to the flower disk at the reproductive growth stage.Reasonable coupling of water and nitrogen improved the transport of nitrogen from leaves and stems to the flower disk and promoted the formation of yield components.Six regression equations were established with irrigation and fertilization amount as independent variables,and seed rate,seed weight per flowerdisk,1000 grain weight,yield,water use efficiency and nitrogen partial factor productivity as dependent variables,respectively.Multiple regression and spatial analysis suggested that the irrigation amount of 241.62-253.35 mm and the fertilization application of 202.02-209.40 N kg/hm^(2)was a good irrigation strategy,under which all six factors exceed 75%of their maxima,and the yield of sunflower reached 3229.3 kg/hm^(2).

Araucaria angustifolia Aboveground Roots Presented High Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonization and Diversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Almost 30 different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF) species, distributed in different genera such as Glomus, Acaulospora,Scutellospora, Entrophospora, Ambispora, Kuklospora, Gigaspora, and Archeospora, have been identified in the root zone of Araucaria angustifolia, known as Brazil Pine. During our AMF survey in this ecosystem, our attention was called to the presence of many superficially growing Araucaria roots. Our hypothesis was that these roots were colonized with AMF because of the presence of AMF spores in organic material aboveground. Samples of these superficial roots and the organic substrate they were growing on were evaluated for their mycorrhizal status. DNA was extracted from the AMF-colonized superficial roots and submitted to polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification using the NS31-AM1 primer pair, followed by cloning and sequencing. We found that the root colonization percentages were between 31% and 52%, and the number of AMF spores in the substrate ranged from 27 to 164 spores per 50 g dry substrate. The phylogenetic analyses and tree construction using maximum parsimony(MP) and neighbor-joining(NJ)methods identified 13 different species of the phylum Glomeromycota belonging to the genera Glomus, Funneliformis, Rhizophagus,Gigaspora, Acaulospora, and Archaeospora, and five isolates were identified only at the genus level. To our knowledge, this is the first report on Araucaria angustifolia with roots growing aboveground, producing runner roots that develop on dead tree trunks and organic material. The higher colonization of the aboveground roots than those commonly found in belowground Araucaria roots suggests that they may present active metabolic uptake of nutrients.