Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Narges sousaraeS; Mojtaba Barani Motlagh; Seyed Alireza Movahedi Naeini
Abstract
Introduction: When the supply of micronutrients needed by the plant is insufficient, not only the yield of the product but also the quality of plant products are affected. Application of organic amendments is one of the ways to increase the nutrients such as zinc uptake by plants for. Biochar can be ...
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Introduction: When the supply of micronutrients needed by the plant is insufficient, not only the yield of the product but also the quality of plant products are affected. Application of organic amendments is one of the ways to increase the nutrients such as zinc uptake by plants for. Biochar can be used as a raw material for the preparation and synthesis of mineral or metal composites due to its high specific surface area, porous structure and oxygen bonding groups on its surface. In these composites, biochar is used as a good porous structure to support and host metals. Biochar can have a significant impact on soil properties, the availability of nutrients, and the dynamics of the nutrients in arid and semi-arid soils, Depending on the feedstock and pyrolysis conditions However, very limited studies have examined biochar use as a nutrient carrier in the synthesis of organic-mineral compounds. Therefore, the present study was done to investigate the efficiency of zinc-enriched biochar pellets using two pre-pyrolysis and post- pyrolysis methods, and their effect on some physiological traits (chlorophyll a, b and total) and bioavailability of zinc in soil and plant.Methods and Materials A zinc deficiency Soil was collected from 0-30 cm depth under arable lands of Seyed Abad located in Azadshahr township, Golestan Province, Iran. To achieve the objectives of this study, a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications and 18 treatments (54 pots in total) was performed in the greenhouse of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Factors included three types of zinc fertilizers (zinc sulphate, zinc-rich biochar prepared using pre-pyrolysis and post-pyrolysis methods) in three levels (0, 10 and 20 mg kg-1 zinc) and foliar spraying (distilled water and 3:1000 zinc). Zinc foliar spraying was done during the 6-10 leaf stage in the early hours of the morning before sunrise. Irrigation and weeding operations were performed manually. At the end of the growing period (vegetative and reproductive), some physiological traits (chlorophyll a, b, total and carotenoid), concentration and zinc uptake in shoots in the two stages of flag leaf emergence and seed maturity, and available concentration of zinc in the soil after wheat plant harvest were measured. The statistical results of the data were analyzed using SAS software and LSD test (at 5% level) was used for comparing the mean values.Results and Discussion: Based on the results, the interaction of type and levels of treatments was significant on all the studied traits at P<0.01, except for carotenoid. The means comparison showed that both zinc-enriched biochar pellets and zinc sulfate increased physiological traits in wheat plants. The highest amount of chlorophyll a, b, and total was obtained with an average of 4.99, 3.36, and 8.35 mg g-1 of fresh weight of the plant from the treatment of a pre-pyrolysis pellet with a concentration of 20 mg kg-1 with zinc sulfate foliar spraying, respectively. The highest zinc uptake in both the flag leaf emergence and seed maturity stages was obtained with an average of 120.33 and 86.62 mg kg-1 of dry weight of the plant from the pre and post-pyrolysis pellet treatment with a concentration of 20 mg/kkg with zinc sulfate foliar spraying, which had an increase of 20 mg kg-1 of zinc sulfate foliar spraying, respectively, equivalent to 27.69 and 30%. The pre-pyrolysis pellet treatment with 20 mg kg-1 zinc and zinc sulfate foliar spraying gave the most zinc extracted with DTPA, at an average of 3.41 mg kg-1. This was compared to the 10 mg kg-1 and 0 mg kg-1 pre-pyrolysis biochar pellet treatments, which gave an average of 2.39 mg kg-1 and 0.92 mg kg-1, respectively, which is an increase of 29.91 and 73.02 percent. The amount of DTPA extractable Zn with the amount of chlorophyll a (r = 0.87**), chlorophyll b (r = 0.81**), total chlorophyll (r = 0.87**), and carotenoids (r = 0.89**) had a positive and significant correlation. The results showed that between DTPA extractable Zn with zinc concentration (r = 0.91**) and zinc uptake (r = 0.90**) in the stage of flag emergence and zinc concentration (r = 0.87**) and zinc uptake (r = 0.86**) in the stage of seed maturity in the wheat plant, there was a positive and significant correlation.Conclusions: In general, the results showed that the positive role of biochar-zinc pellets in increasing the concentration and zinc uptake in wheat plants. Nevertheless, supplemental zinc foliar application with biochar pellets rich in zinc in the amount of 20 mg kg-1 in the form of post-pyrolysis had the greatest effect on the physiological characteristics and Zn bioavailability for wheat plants.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Esmaeil Khaleghi; Mehrangiz Chehrazi; Hojjat Shirazi
Abstract
Introduction
Anthurium (Anthurium scherzerianum schott) is one of the most important ornamental plants with beautiful leaves and flowers. The quantitative and qualitative characteristics of this flower can be affected by many factors, including the cultivation and feeding system. Biochar is a carbon-rich ...
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Introduction
Anthurium (Anthurium scherzerianum schott) is one of the most important ornamental plants with beautiful leaves and flowers. The quantitative and qualitative characteristics of this flower can be affected by many factors, including the cultivation and feeding system. Biochar is a carbon-rich solid material that is produced during the process of pyrolysis (decomposition of organic materials by heat in the absence of oxygen or a small amount of oxygen). It includes elements such as (Si, P, S, N, H, O, K, alkali cations and heavy metals) with different proportions. In addition, humic acid is used as a biological polymer in the agricultural field to increase the efficiency of cultivation of various plant products, improve the efficiency of fertilizer consumption, the possibility of using it in soilless and greenhouse cultivation environments and increasing the efficiency of water consumption.
Materials and Methods
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of biochar and humic acid on the quantitative, qualitative and nutritional characteristics of anthurium flowers as a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design in three replications in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz during 2017-2018. In order to perform this experiment, first, Anthurium seedlings were prepared from the Anthurium flower production greenhouse located in Pakdasht Varamin and transferred to the greenhouse of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. Then they were cultivated in 15 liter pots containing cocopeat and perlite in a ratio of 1:1. The treatments included biochar at 3 levels (0%, 5%, and 10% by weight), which was provided to the substrate at the same time as cultivation, and humic acid at 3 concentrations of 0, 500, and 1000 mg/liter. The end of experiment, indicators such as fresh and dry weight of roots, root surface, chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b and carotenoids, total soluble carbohydrates, nitrogen and potassium were measured.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that the use of biochar and humic acid significantly increased the morphological characteristics such as fresh and dry weight of roots, number of leaves, root surface and leaf surface. The highest fresh weight (50.62 grams) and dry weight (5.12 grams) of the root was obtained by using 10% biochar along with 1000 mg/liter of humic acid. There was a significant difference between plants treated with 1000 mg/liter of humic acid and 500 mg/liter of humic acid in all different levels of biochar on leaf number. The highest number of leaves (82.66) in the highest concentration of humic acid and biochar were obtained. The highest number of flowers was obtained at the highest level of humic acid and biochar. Also, biochemical properties such as chlorophyll and carotenoid and nutritional properties such as nitrogen and potassium increased significantly under the influence of treatments. The increase in growth parameters can be due to the effect of these two compounds in increasing the photosynthetic pigments, improving the absorption of water and nutrients, including nitrogen and potassium. Biochar, as a compound resulting from the anaerobic pyrolysis of different biomasses, changes the physical and chemical characteristics of the cultivation environment and increases the capacity to hold water and nutrients, increase total porosity and ventilation porosity, living and non-living biological compounds. On the other hand, humic acid, as a biopolymer, has a high ability to stimulate chemical reactions in the plant environment, especially in the rhizosphere of the plant. It is worth mentioning that the behavior of humic acid as a biopolymer in the plant environment can also affect the secondary metabolites of the plant, which has been reported in various studies for plants.
Conclusion
In general, Mechanisms such as increasing root activity due to increasing cationic capacity, increasing water retention capacity in the culture medium, increasing biological activities in the culture medium during the application of biochar are important and key factors that they can affect the absorption of different nutrients and the biochemical reactions of the rhizosphere environment of the plant. Therefore, the results showed that the consumption of biochar and humic acid significantly increased in vegetative characteristics, reproductive characteristics, photosynthetic pigments and nutritional elements such as nitrogen and potassium. The use of 10% biochar and 1000 mg/liter of humic acid was the most effective treatment in improving the mentioned factors.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Ali Amiri Gelwardi; Mohammad Ali Bahmanyar; Bahi Jalili
Abstract
Introduction: The environmental effects caused by the use of chemical fertilizers, including water and soil pollution, are a threat to the health of the environment. Researchers are trying to reduce the harmful effects of using chemical fertilizers and applying as much mineral resources as possible in ...
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Introduction: The environmental effects caused by the use of chemical fertilizers, including water and soil pollution, are a threat to the health of the environment. Researchers are trying to reduce the harmful effects of using chemical fertilizers and applying as much mineral resources as possible in the soil to meet the nutritional needs of plants. The use of natural amendments such as zeolite, pumice and bentonite play an important role in reducing the loss of nutrients and increasing the fertilizer use efficiency. These amendments, having a special physical and chemical structure, play an important role to increase the absorption of water and nutrients. As a result, this research was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of zeolite, pumice and bentonite application on the seed yield, yield components and concentration of macro elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of soybean seeds and leaves in two soils with different characteristics.Materials and methods: This experiment was conducted as a split plot in three replicates and in 84 pots in the research greenhouse of Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University in 2021. In this experiment, the main factors include two types of soil texture (silty clay and sandy loam) and the secondary factors in fourteen levels include the control, PK chemical fertilizer treatment according to the soil test, zeolite, pumice and bentonite, each at 2 levels of 0.5 and 1% without fertilizer, 0.5% zeolite, pumice and bentonite with 75% PK fertilizer, 1% zeolite, pumice and bentonite with 50% PK fertilizer were considered. each of the treatments was mixed with 10 kg of soil to the pots. After applying the treatment, three germinated soybean seeds were planted in each pot. In all stages of growth irrigation, weeding, pest and disease control were done. After harvesting, seed yield, the thousand seed weight, pod number and concentrations of nutritional elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were measured in seeds and leaves. The data obtained from the experiment were statistically analyzed using Statistic software. The comparison of the means was also done using the LSD test method at the 5% level.Result and discussion: The results showed that the effect of the type of soil on seed yield, the thousand seed weight and concentration of phosphorus in seeds and also on the concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in leaves was significant. In addition, the effect of the amendment treatments on all studied traits was significant except leaf potassium. While the interaction effect of soil type (texture) and treatments was significant on seed yield, leaf nitrogen, seed phosphorus and seed potassium. the highest amount of seed yield of 67/02 gram per pot was observed in silty clay soil and in 0/5 % zeolite with 75% PK fertilizer and the lowest amount of seed yield of 43.73 gram per pot was obtained in sandy loam soil and 1 % pumice with 50% PK fertilizer. Also the maximum amount of thousand seed weight and number of pods in per pot were observed in the 1% zeolite treatment and the lowest in the 1% bentonite with 50% fertilizer treatment. Bentonite 1% treatment, increased seed nitrogen by 11% compared to control. The mean comparison results showed that in silty clay soil, the highest percent of leaf nitrogen of as 7.79 percent in 1% zeolite with 50% PK fertilizer was measured and in sandy loam soil, the highest percent of leaf nitrogen of 6.86 percent was measured in 0.5% zeolite with 50% PK fertilizer. the highest percent of seed phosphorus and seed potassium was obtained in silty clay soil and 1% bentonite and sandy loam soil and 0/5 % zeolite with 75% PK fertilizer treatments respectively. The lowest amount of seed phosphorus and potassium were measured in sandy loam soil and 0/5 % pumice treatments.Conclusion: among the amendments studied in this research, zeolite and bentonite had the greatest effect on the studied traits. The positive effect of different levels of zeolite alone and with PK fertilizer was observed on seed yield, thousand seed weight, number of pods in per pot, leaf nitrogen and seed potassium. The general results of the present research showed that the use of 1% zeolite, improved the growth of the plants and increased the yield components. Also the use of zeolite with PK fertilizer for increasing the seed yield was recommended.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
samira mohamadi; Fardin Sadegh-Zadeh; Mohammad AIi bahmanyar; mostafa emadi; mahdi ghajar- sepanlu
Abstract
Introduction: Recovery of nutrients from plant residues is a sustainable and economical method in agriculture. Considering the important role of nutrients, it is essential to supply these elements in the soil and achieve the appropriate yield. The amount of nutrients in the plant residues after harvesting ...
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Introduction: Recovery of nutrients from plant residues is a sustainable and economical method in agriculture. Considering the important role of nutrients, it is essential to supply these elements in the soil and achieve the appropriate yield. The amount of nutrients in the plant residues after harvesting is very variable due to the difference between the species used. Each plant residue contains some nutrients that during the decomposition process, these nutrients can be available to the soil and crops in different amounts. In more detail, considering that the excessive use of chemical fertilizers has caused environmental problems and unused plant residues in the environment have created problems for the environment and farmers, therefore, to solve these problems, recovering important elements such as silicon from plant residues can be effective in improving the quality and quantity of many different products and plants. Rice straw, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse are among the most common plant residues that have been studied in different studies to recover nutrients from them with different methods. In particular, rice straw is known as one of the most important plant residues that can be found in abundance in the north of Iran. Obviously, there is still a need for a better understanding of the amount of nutrients recovery from plant residues with different methods. And there is an effect of these elements on improving the condition of the soil. Considering that the excessive use of chemical fertilizers has caused environmental problems, as well as unused or underused plant residues in the environment have caused problems for the environment and farmers. The purpose of this study is to compare the residues of rice straw, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse and the methods of recovering nutrients from these residues in order to add macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and micro-nutrients (iron, zinc, copper and manganese) into the soil.Materials and Methods: This research was carried out based on a factorial experiment in the form of a completely "randomized" design with three replications during 2022-2023. The treatments of plant residues in three levels (rice straw, wheat straw and sugarcane bagasse) and the methods of recovering elements from these residues in five levels (biochar, straw, digestion, ash and ash with acid) were examined. Soil samples, from a depth of 0-25 cm and with silty loam texture were randomly taken from the forest parts of Mazandaran province, Iran, characterized by a Mediterranean climate, Csa type, with an average annual rainfall of 676 mm, and average air temperature of 14 ℃, and then were air-dried. After preparing the samples, the characteristics of the treatments, macronutrients and micronutrients, including pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, manganese, copper, and silicon were measured. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) assessed the statistical significance of the differences in the studied variables among the different treatments. Tukey test was used for the post-hoc comparisons at a p-level < 0.01. Prior to the statistical analysis, QQ-plots were used to check the normality of sample distribution, and the data were square root-transformed whenever necessary. Moreover, the principal component analysis (PCA) was used to cluster the studied variables in groups related to the studied treatments.Results and Discussion: The results of analysis of variance showed the effect of plant residues and element recovery method on all studied characteristics including soil characteristics (pH, electrical conductivity and organic carbon), macronutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and micronutrients (silicon, manganese, copper, iron and zinc) were significant at the probability level of 1%. The results showed that the biochar treatment of rice straw had the maximum amount of pH (7.66), organic carbon (2.61%), nitrogen (0.24%), phosphorus (46 mg/g), potassium (781 mg/g) and silicon (261.33 mg/g) compared to other treatments. Also, the results of the compare means showed that sugarcane bagasse biochar treatment had the maximum amount of manganese (25.01 mg/kg), zinc (3.20 mg/kg), iron (48.27 mg/kg) and copper (2.20 mg/kg) compared to other treatments. The application of principal component analysis showed that three distinct groups (for rice straw/biochar, sugarcane bagasse/biochar and control treatments) were demonstrated, without clear overlap of the points related to these treatments and their element recovery methods.Conclusions: In general, this study confirmed that the treatment of rice straw residues and the method of recovering its elements through biochar play a significant role in increasing the quality and fertility of the soil and can be recommended to farmers.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Masuod Shahrokhi; Saeid Shafiei; Hosein Shekofteh; Shapour Kouhestani
Abstract
Introduction: The quality of irrigation water has an important effect on the growth and concentrations of nutrients. The application of boron-rich irrigation water is a global issue and the most important boron pollution source in the environment. Poor water quality unavoidably leads to decreased growth ...
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Introduction: The quality of irrigation water has an important effect on the growth and concentrations of nutrients. The application of boron-rich irrigation water is a global issue and the most important boron pollution source in the environment. Poor water quality unavoidably leads to decreased growth of plants. One of the problems of irrigation in tropical regions is the high concentration of boron element in water and its concentration in irrigation water increases every year. In dry areas where agriculture takes place, boron is often found in high concentrations along with saline soils and salty waters. Boron stress occurs widely and limits plant growth and crop productivity worldwide. Boron is in the form of boric acid in the soil solution and it is washed from the soil in heavy rains, but it is not washed enough when it rains, and by accumulating in the soil, it poisons the plant and prevents its growth. Therefore, in arid and semi-arid areas, irrigation with groundwater that has a high boron content reduces crop growth. Therefore, this experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of activated carbon on nutrient concentrations by tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants under the boron stress of irrigation water. Materials and methods: To evaluate the effects of activated carbon on the concentrations and translocation of boron in the plant a factorial experiment with a completely randomized design and three replications was performed in the greenhouse conditions. Treatments included three plants (tomato, cucumber, and eggplant), three levels of boron concentration in irrigation water (0.03, 2.5, and 5 mg l-1) from a boric acid source, and four levels of activated carbon (0, 1, 2, and 3% soil). To prepare seedlings, first, a sufficient number of healthy seeds were selected and for better germination, they were placed in wet napkins for one day and night. Then the seeds were planted in seedling trays with coco peat substrate. In this stage, watering was done once every two days until finally, after 30 days and when the seedlings reached the four-leaf stage and the true leaves appeared, the plants were ready to be transferred to the pots. For cultivation, each of the plastic pots was filled with 3 kg of sampled soil, which was mixed with a proportion of activated carbon according to the type of treatment. Then, in the middle of each pot, several seedlings of the same size were planted. Then the pots were placed in the greenhouse according to the plan. The experiment was conducted with 36 experimental treatments in three replications and a total of 108 experimental units. The soil used was prepared with geographical coordinates (longitude 57˚ 37ʹ and latitude 28˚ 42ʹ) and depth of 0-30 cm and was classified according to the American classification system Sand, mixed, hyperthermic typical Torriorthents. During the growing period, the plants were irrigated daily according to the farm capacity (FC). The day temperature of 25 – 30 °C, the night temperature of 15 – 20 °C, and the relative humidity was 50 – 70%.Results and discussion: The results indicate that the main effects of boron and activated carbon levels had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on the concentration of iron, zinc, manganese, and copper in the aerial parts of the plant. With the amount of boron increased in the treatments, the amount of copper and iron in the aerial parts increased while the amount of manganese and zinc decreased. Regarding the effect of activated carbon, the results showed that by increasing the amount of activated carbon in the treatments, the amount of copper, manganese, and zinc decreased. In contrast, the amount of iron has increased. The highest concentration of iron in the aerial parts (219.6 mg kg-1) belonged to the level of 3% of activated carbon. Also, with the increase in activated carbon in the treatments, concentrations and accumulation of boron in the aerial parts decreased. The highest concentration of boron in the aerial parts (31.77 mg kg-1) was obtained in the cucumber and the level of 0% activated carbon, and the lowest concentration (5.75 mg kg-1) was obtained in eggplant and the level of 3% activated carbon.Conclusions: It is concluded that the use of activated carbon under boron stress conditions can reduce the concentrations and toxicity of boron in plants.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Mina Taghizadeh; Zeinab Azimi Senejani; Mousa Solgi
Abstract
Introduction One of the important proceedings in propagation process of plants is improving the speed of rooting and shortening this propagation period. Today, use of natural materials as an alternative for chemical fertilizer is concerned with successful rooting of cuttings in ornamental plants that ...
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Introduction One of the important proceedings in propagation process of plants is improving the speed of rooting and shortening this propagation period. Today, use of natural materials as an alternative for chemical fertilizer is concerned with successful rooting of cuttings in ornamental plants that in some cases have perceived well and effective influence of these biofertilizer compared with chemicals. Zamioculcas zamiifolia is a valuable ornamental indoor plant. The production of this plant in short time is commercially important. An important stage in the process of accelerating this plant production is to improve the rooting and shortening its growth stage. Therefore, the simultaneous effect of mycorrhizal biofertilizer and biochar on Zamioculcas zamiifolia propagation was studied in this research.Materials and Methods This study was performed in the greenhouse in the faculty of agriculture and environmental science of Arak University with controlled conditions of 25 ◦C temperature, 70% humidity and 10,000 lux of light. Treatments were included biochar 5% + arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer 6%, biochar 10% + arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer 6%, biochar 5% + arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer 12%, and biochar 10% + arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer 12%, and control (without biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer). The arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer was mixture of Clarodeoglomus etunicatum, Rhizophagus irregularis, Funneliformis mosseae. The experiment was performed as a completely randomized design (CRD) at three replicates. The pots were containing cocopeat + perlite (1:1) and different treatments of arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer and biochar. Morphological and physiological traits such as off-shoot number, Leafy cuttings color, Leaf width, Leaf length, Shoot length, root number, root length, rhizome diameter, chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll content, fresh weight (FW) of roots and shoots, the dry weight (DW) of roots and shoots, Saturation weight, relative water content (RWC), biomass, electrolyte leakage and arbuscular mycorrhizal root colonization were measured after 9 months. Results and Discussion Biochar and arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer application in propagation medium increased off-shoot growth of Zamioculcas zamiifolia. The results showed that the highest roots number was obtained in the treatments of arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer 12% + biochar 10% which was followed by arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer 6% + biochar 5%. The maximum root length was observed by arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer 12% + biochar 5% treatment. The root colonization had a positive correlation with the number of off-shoot, leaf size, shoot FW and leaf chlorophyll content. The application of biochar 10% + arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer 6% treatment caused an increase in the height of the shoot about 3.3 times more than the control. The highest rhizome diameter was observed in biochar 10% + arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer 6% treatment. The maximum off-shoot number was measured in the treatment of biochar 10% + arbuscular mycorrhizal biofertilizer 6% treatment which was 1.8 times more than control. No signs of colonization were observed in the control, but the roots colonization in the arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilization treatment 12% was 1.6 times more that in the arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer 6%. Increasing the amount of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhiza application in the propagation medium enhanced arbuscular mycorrhiza roots colonization of Zamioculcas zamiifolia. A significant positive correlation was observed between the number of off-shoot and the total biomass (r=0.95). A high positive correlation was observed between the fresh weight of shoot and the saturated weight (r=0.95). There was a significant positive correlation between saturated weight with total chlorophyll (r=0.97) and total biomass (r=0.96). The relationship between total chlorophyll and biomass was a significant positive (r=0.95). There was a significant positive correlation between the root colonization and chlorophyll a (r=0.83). A significant negative correlation was detected between dry weight of shoot and dry weight of root (r=0.94) and dry weight of root with relative water content (r=0.95). Conclusion Generally, in the most of studied traits, the use of biochar and arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer in the culture medium improved the off-shoot growth and rooting characteristics of Zamioculcas zamiifolia compared to the control. Shortening the propagation period of this slow growth and luxury plant is significant aspects in the production of this ornamental plant that reduce production costs and make the product more cost-effective. The use of biochar 10% + arbuscular mycorrhiza biofertilizer 6% in culture medium is recommended to improve the quantitative and qualitative properties through the propagation of this ornamental houseplant.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Fatemeh Meskini-Vishkaee; Ali Reza JAfarnejadi
Abstract
Introduction In Iran, salinity is a pervasive and limiting Factor of agricultural sustainable production. Plants in saline conditions are exposed to limited absorption of nutrients, water and toxicity of some elements and subsequently, their yield will be affected by salinity. Moreover, dust storms in ...
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Introduction In Iran, salinity is a pervasive and limiting Factor of agricultural sustainable production. Plants in saline conditions are exposed to limited absorption of nutrients, water and toxicity of some elements and subsequently, their yield will be affected by salinity. Moreover, dust storms in arid and semi-arid climates are one of the most important environmental and pollution problems, as they directly and indirectly reduced the quality and quantity of agricultural products. Dust occurrence frequency in the country, especially in the western and southwestern regions increased in the last decades. Hence, increased dust occurrence frequency and intensity during the growth period of agricultural crops is one of the most substantial risks in agricultural sustainable production in Khuzestan province. Thus, the aim of the study was to investigate the effects of dust occurrence and farm management practices applied to reduce the effects of this stress on wheat yield indices as a strategic agricultural product in Khuzestan province. Materials and Methods This study was carried out in Khuzestan province in a calcareous and saline soil with clay loam texture under wheat cultivation (Barat cultivar) as a split plat experiment in a randomized complete blocks design with three replications. Two agricultural farm managements included 1) the custom of the farmer (traditional farming) and 2) nutrition management (soil test, soil balanced and complementary nutrition) based on plant phenological growth stages. In each farm management operation, four leaf washing treatments including 1) without leaf washing, 2) leaf washing after the occurrence of dust phenomenon in the tillering stage, 3) leaf washing after the occurrence of dust phenomenon in the booting stage and 4) leaf washing after the occurrence of dust phenomenon in both the tillering and booting stages, in plots with an area of 20 m2 were applied in three replicates. At the end of the growth season, wheat yield indices involved thousand kernel weight, number of grains per spike, biomass weight, grain yield and the number of tillers per square meter in different treatments were determined. SAS v.9.1 statistical software and Duncan's multiple range test were used to compare the means of the studied treatments.Results and Discussion The results showed that the highest wheat grain yield was observed in the treatment of balanced nutrition management and leaf washing after dust occurrence at two wheat growth stages (5180 kg ha-1), while the least wheat grain yield was in the traditional management and no leaf washing treatment (2830 kg ha-1). The interactions of farm management practices and different leaf washing treatments on biomass, grain yield, harvest index, thousand kernel weight and number of tillers per square meter were significant (p< 0.01). In the traditional management of the farmer, using the plant leaves washing at only one wheat growth stage after the occurrence of dust caused about 30% increase in wheat grain yield on average (24 and 35% increase in grain yield as a result of leaf washing after dust, respectively, in the tillering and booting stages). While in the traditional management and leaf washing at both two stages of wheat growth, it increased the wheat grain yield by 43%. In addition, the results showed that by using balanced nutrition management without leaf washing, wheat grain yield and harvest index increased by 10 and 9%, respectively. Application of balanced nutrition and leaf washing after the dust occurrence at both two wheat growth stages (tillering and booting) caused 32, 59, 21 and 11% increase in biomass, grain yield, harvest index and thousand kernel weight of wheat.Conclusion Based on the results of this research, it was found that the use of different management operations in the farms, such as balanced nutrition of the crop based on the plant growth phenological stages and the leaves washing after the occurrence of dust, can significantly reduce the damage of wheat yield caused by the occurrence of dust. However, it should be noted that despite the positive and significant effect of washing the plant leaf surface after the occurrence of dust phenomenon on reducing wheat yield damage, the time of leaves washing application is very important. Because if immediately after washing the leaf surface of the plant, the dust phenomenon occurs again, the wetness of the plant leaf surface causes more dust particles to deposit on it and the damage caused by dust on wheat yield indices increases.All right reserved.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Nasrin Teimoori; Mokhtar Ghobadi; Danial Kahrizi
Abstract
Introduction: Salinity stress reduces the yield of agricultural products. Water or soil salinity is caused by the increase in the concentration of soluble salts and minerals in water and soil, which leads to the accumulation of salt in the root area, to the extent that it prevents water absorption and ...
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Introduction: Salinity stress reduces the yield of agricultural products. Water or soil salinity is caused by the increase in the concentration of soluble salts and minerals in water and soil, which leads to the accumulation of salt in the root area, to the extent that it prevents water absorption and optimal plant growth. In general, tolerance to salinity is important during all stages of plant growth. Seed germination is the first stage of plant growth. Salinity stress reduces the percentage and rate of seed germination and also seedling growth. Crop yield is quantitatively and qualitatively dependent on the percentage, rate and uniformity of seed germination and also seedling growth. In recent years, a lot of attention has been paid to silicon due to its effect in reducing plant damage against some environmental stresses (such as drought, heat, heavy metals, salinity etc.). The studies show that silicon protects the plant against environmental stresses by stimulating growth and increasing the antioxidant enzymes activity. It has also been reported that the silicon is effective in increasing the chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate and the resistance of plants under stressful conditions. Silicon increases the plant tolerance to the salinity by improving photosynthetic activity, increasing the relative selection of K+/Na+, increasing the soluble substances in the xylem, reducing sodium absorption, and mechanical protection against the toxicity of elements. Therefore, a research was carried out with the aim of investigating the effect of the silicon in increasing tolerance to salinity stress in camellia seedlings.Materials and Methods: A laboratory experiment was carried out in 2021 at Campus of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. The experiment laid out as a factorial based on a completely randomized design with three replications. The factors were camelina genotypes (Sohail cultivar and Line-84), salinity (four levels 0, -3, -6 and -9 bar) and silicon (five levels of 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM). Salinity stress levels were prepared by different amounts of sodium chloride (NaCl) salt. Silicon factor levels were also prepared by different concentrations of sodium silicate (Na2SiO3). The experiment consisted of 120 petri dishes. Data analysis was done with MSTATC and SAS statistical softwares. Means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test (P≤0.05). Excel software was used to draw figures.Results and Discussion: The results showed that with the increase in salinity intensity, the growth characteristics and the amount of soluble proteins of camellia seedlings decreased, but the activity of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymes and the amount of malondialdehyde increased. The lowest activity of catalase was observed under non-salinity conditions (control). But the highest activity of catalase enzyme (104.4 µM/min. mg protein) belonged to the treatment of -9 bar salinity. The use of silicon increased the seedling growth, the amount of soluble proteins, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the amount of malondialdehyde in camelina seedlings. The highest germination rate (23.97 seeds/day) was obtained in the treatment of 8 mM silicon. With the increase in silicon concentration, the amount of soluble proteins increased, so that in the 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM treatments, compared to the control treatment, the amount of soluble protein increased by 4, 8, 10.75 and 10.9%, respectively. By increasing the concentration of silicon, the activity rate of catalase enzyme increased. The highest activity rate of peroxidase enzyme (35.38 µM/min. mg protein) was observed in 8 mM silicon, which was significantly different from other treatments. The lowest activity of peroxidase was related to the control treatment. Line-84 had 8.65% higher activity rate of superoxide dismutase than the Sohail cultivar. With increasing salinity stress and silicon concentration, the activity rate of superoxide dismutase increased. On average, in the treatments of 2, 4, 6 and 8 mM silicon, the activity rate of superoxide dismutase was increased 11, 27, 44 and 57%, respectively, compared to the control (without silicon). The highest amount of malondialdehyde (44.42 µM/g fresh weight) was observed in the treatment of 8 mM silicon.Conclusion: The results of this experiment showed that the application of silicon, by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, reduced the oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species and thus protected camellia seedlings against salt stress. In general, it seems that the use of silicon has been effective in reducing the adverse effects of salinity stress on growth and biochemical characteristics of camelina seedlings.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Mehri Bazi abdoli; M Barani; abdolamir Bosatni; Taleb Nazari
Abstract
Introduction Various biomass sources such as crop residues have been proposed as feedstock for biochar production . Meanwhile, a large quantity of crop residues (rice) is produced as waste and they are either burnt or piled and abandoned at some locations in the fields. Burning of crop residues is resulting ...
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Introduction Various biomass sources such as crop residues have been proposed as feedstock for biochar production . Meanwhile, a large quantity of crop residues (rice) is produced as waste and they are either burnt or piled and abandoned at some locations in the fields. Burning of crop residues is resulting in substantial loss of nutrients, and may lead to air pollution and human health problems . An alternative approach is to apply crop residues to soil in the form of biochar. Bioavailability of nutrients exclusively micronutrients (Fe, Zn) isa serious problem in soils having high pH which ends in crops yield to decline and ultimately can lead to malnutrition in humans. The biochar modification with acid may increase the solubility of nutrients (P, , Fe, Zn, Cu,,Mn) present in biochar, thereby significant improvement in mineral nutrition of plants grown in calcareous soils. In the other hand, One of the ways to use and exploit saline lands is to use salinity-tolerant cultivars, such as the Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) plant. It is known that biochar increases soil pH, which may result in less availability of phosphorus and other micronutrients, such as Fe, Zn, and Mn, in alkaline and calcareous soils. Therefore, modifying biochar with acids can increase the availability of nutrients in biochar for different plants grown in calcareous soils. The objection of this study is to investigate the effect of normal biochar and acid-modified biochar from rice residues on the yield and yield components of quinoa plants (Gizavan number) in a calcareous soil affected by salt.Materials and Methods The soil used in the study was collected from 0-30 cm depth which passed through via 2-mm sieve after air-drying and its chemical and physical properties were determined. To achieve the aim of this study, the factorial experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design in 4 replications. Factors include 3 types of rice biochar (unmodified, modified by pre-acidic method and modified by post-acidic method) and different levels of biochar (0, 2, and 5% by weight). Then 10 quinoa seeds were planted in each pot at 2 cm depth which after the plant emerging and greening declined to 3 plants in each pot. The pots were randomly moved twice a week during growth to eliminate environmental effects. Irrigation and weeding operations were done by hand. After the end of the growth period (187 days), the plants were harvested. So vegetative growth parameters and yield components including shoots fresh and dry weight, plant height, stem diameter, panicle length, number of leaves, number of lateral branches, and 1000 grain weight were measured and then biological yield and harvest index were determined. The statistical results of the data were analyzed using SAS software (9.4) and the LSD test (at 5% level) was used for comparing the mean values.Results and Discussion As a result of adding biochar to soil, it becomes alkaline. Chemical modification of biochar using strong acids can reduce soil pH and improve the fertility of calcareous soils and increase vegetative parameters and yield components of quinoa. Based on the obtained results, the interaction effect of different types and levels of biochar on all investigated traits was significant at the level of 1%. The results showed that the highest height, fresh and dry weight, panicle length, number of lateral branches, and stem diameter were related to the 5% post-acidic rice biochar treatment and the lowest value was related to the control treatment. furthermore, the results showed that the highest amount of plant dry weight of 8.82 gr/pot, the height of 77.50 cm, and 1000 seed weight of 17.3 gr/pot was obtained from the treatment of 5% post-acidic rice biochar, compared to the treatment of 5% Unacidified rice biochar had an increase of (81.97), (56.77), (32.17) and (7.06) percent respectively. As a result of the high dry weight of shoots and the 1000 seed weight, the 5% post-acidic rice biochar treatment provided the highest biological yield at 16.05 and harvest index at 45.03.Conclusion Under the conditions of this study, acid-modified biochars (post-acidic and pre-acidic) enhanced vegetative growth characteristics and yield components of quinoa plants in calcareous soils affected by salt. Therefore, it is recommended to prepare biochar from acidic sources or to modify it with post-acidic and pre- acidic methods.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Nadieh Dastbaz; Mohammad Ali Mahmoodi; Akbar Karimi; Sara Salavati
Abstract
Introduction Nitrogen (N), an essential nutrient for growth and development of plants, is added to agricultural fields to boost crop yields. Major concern in modern agriculture to account for maximum nutrient use efficiency, improve the soil fertility and prevent groundwater pollution. Environmental ...
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Introduction Nitrogen (N), an essential nutrient for growth and development of plants, is added to agricultural fields to boost crop yields. Major concern in modern agriculture to account for maximum nutrient use efficiency, improve the soil fertility and prevent groundwater pollution. Environmental and economic challenges due to nitrogen application in agricultural have increased regard to nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Improving the nitrogen use efficiency, which is the fraction of the applied fertilizer nitrogen taken up by a plant for its physiological and growth purposes, is one of the strategies for reducing N loss in agriculture. With the continued escalating costs of inorganic fertilizers, NUE in field crops should be enhanced to reduce production costs. Therefore, it is essential that appropriate N fertilizer management practices are adopted to optimize the use of applied N in cropping systems. NUE and better plant growth are related to soil’s physico-chemical traits. In this context, the application of soil amendments, such as zeolie, has great importance for the reclamation of soil properties and improve plant growth. Natural zeolites are naturally occurring, hydrated aluminosilicates with and being considered as good soil amendment for minimizes N losses and increase NUE. Therefore the objective of this study was investigating the effect of different levels of clinoptilolite zeolite and nitrogen fertilizer on the efficiency of nitrogen use, growth and yield of maize (Zea mays L.) in field conditions. Materials and methods This study carried out in field condition as a split-plot arrangement based on randomized complete blocks and in three replications, at the University of Kurdistan research farm in Dehgolan. The experimental treatments include the application of clinoptilolite zeolite at four levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 ton ha-1) as the main plot and the application of nitrogen at five levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 kg N ha-1) as the sub-plot. Urea fertilizer was used to supply the required nitrogen.Maize cultivation (KSC 260 cultivar) was done in 2021. At the end of cultivation season, harvest was done from each plot, and some plant growth traits (leaf area, cob length and cob diameter), leaf N concentration, yield components (grain number in cob, raw number in cob and grain weight in cob), and grain yield were measured. In addition, the NUE was calculated. In order to investigate the effect of zeolite on soil nitrogen status, soil samples were collected from plots after harvest, and cation exchange capacity (CEC), and total soil nitrogen (TN) were measured. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using SAS program version 9.4 (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Significant differences of the mean values (P <0 .05 for F-test) were determined by Duncans’s Multiple Range test. Results and Discussion The results showed that as a result of the application of 10 and 15 ton zeolite ha-1, the soil cation exchange capacity the soil total nitrogen concentration, leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf area index ,cob length, grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency increased significantly. The results showed that the highest leaf N concentration, plant growth indices, grain yield and yield omponents was observed in the treatments of co-application of 150 and 200 kg N ha-1 with 10 and 15 ton ha-1 of zeolite. There was no significant difference between the grain yields in these treatments. The results also indicated that Moreover, nitrogen use efficiency decreased with increasing nitrogen application levels. The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in the 150 kg N ha-1 treatment was significantly higher than 200 kg N ha-1 treatment. The results demonstrated that there was no significant difference between two nitrogen fertilizer levels (150 and 200 kg N ha-1) positive effects on grain yield. The improved maize growth and enhanced grain yield induced by zeolite amendment were related to the increase in soil CEC, soil N status, N uptake in plant, as well as probably improved soil nutrient availability and physicochemical propertis. Leaf N concentration (56.6), leaf area index (56.5%), cob length (21.5%), leaf nitrogen concentration (56.6%), grain weight in cob (61.8%), grain number in cob (41.6%) and grain yield (38.6%) in the plant were significantly higher than control treatment. Conclusion It could be concluded that application of potassium sulfate fertilizer results In general, it can be concluded that the combined use of zeolite (at the level of 10 ton ha-1) and nitrogen (150 kg ha-1) can be a suitable solution for improving corn yield and increasing the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
edris shabani
Abstract
Introduction The decrease in yield and quality levels of button mushrooms during the cultivation period is one of the important challenges of the mushroom production industry, due to the reduction of substrate nutrients and the accumulation of undesirable compounds. One of the solutions to prevent the ...
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Introduction The decrease in yield and quality levels of button mushrooms during the cultivation period is one of the important challenges of the mushroom production industry, due to the reduction of substrate nutrients and the accumulation of undesirable compounds. One of the solutions to prevent the decrease in yield and qualitative characteristics of edible mushrooms during different flushes is to enrich compost with nutrient supplements.Materials and Methods In order to investigate the effect of supplementary nutrition at different times on the yield indicators of button mushroom, a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design was conducted. Experimental treatments included four concentrations (C) of supplementary nutrition (0 (C1), 20 (C2), 40 (C3) and 60 (C4) g/L) (combination of two phases, the liquid phase includes micro and macro elements and amino acids, and the solid phase includes sucrose and dextrin) and two application times (one day after harvesting the first flush (T1) and the beginning of the second flush and the formation of pin (T2).Results and Discussion The findings of this research indicated the highest number of button mushroom was observed in C3T2 treatment by 215.89, which demonstrated a 20.35% increase compared to C1T2 treatment. The lowest single mushroom weight was measured in the first time of foliar spraying in C1T1 treatment and the highest single mushroom weight was obtained in the second time of foliar spraying in C3T2 and C2T2 treatments, respectively. The maximum length of the mushroom base was obtained in C2T2 treatment by 1.36 cm. Along with the increase in the concentration of nutritional solutions; the diameter of the cap showed a significant increase at T1 time, while at T2 time, this value showed a decreasing trend after the treatment of 20 g/L of nutrient solution. In addition, no significant difference was observed between the cap diameter of mushrooms treated with 20 and 40 g/L in treatments of C2T2 and C3T2, and the maximum cap diameter of mushrooms in these treatments was 3.73 and 3.67 cm, respectively. Enrichment of button mushroom compost by nutritional supplements can prevent severe yield reduction during different flushes.The number of mushrooms produced in two different times was not significant. It showed that the effect of using time of supplemental nutrition was more effective on the rapid growth of the formed pins than growth of new pins. The formation of pins and the number of mushrooms were under the influence of the amount of inoculation and used spawn in the compost. The positive results obtained from the foliar application of the nutrients showed that its compounds, including sucrose and dextrose and highly consumed elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and amino acids, have played an important role on the number, single weight of mushrooms and the cap diameter of mushroom. The use of nutrient solution in C3T2 treatment compared to C1T2 increased nitrogen percentage by 66.43%, protein by 66.22%, tissue firmness by 71.44% and biological efficiency of substrate by 66.32%, respectively. Pervious study showed that, the effect of different concentrations of three amino acids asparagine, glutamine and glycine on some quality indicators and performance components of white button mushroom was investigated and the results indicated that asparagine 150 ppm improved the yield and increased the protein content. High NPK content in mushroom substrates significantly shortens the rate of mycelium propagation and increases oyster mushroom growth. One of the basic criteria for a good mushroom substrate is the carbohydrate and nitrogen content to support mushroom growth.Also, using a concentration of 40 g/L of nutrient solution at the time of emergence of the second pin, in comparison with C1T2 treatment, increased the yield of the second flush by 64.15%, the yield of the third flush by 71.17%, the yield of all flushes by 26.79% and the total yield of composted by 26.76%, respectively. Carbon, with its structural role and presence in most organic compounds and providing energy for metabolic reactions, plays a significant role in the growth of button mushrooms. On the other hand, button mushrooms are able to use amino acids as a source of nitrogen. Therefore, it seems that the use of the above compounds in the nutrient solution used in this research has been able to produce favorable results both quantitatively and qualitatively in the studied button mushrooms. On the other hand, it seems that the presence of widely used elements such as phosphorus and potassium in the nutrients used in this research and the positive role of these elements in the production of nucleic acid, adenosine triphosphate, membrane phospholipids and enzyme reactions has been able to play a key role in increasing the quantitative and qualitative properties of button mushrooms.Conclusion The use of 40 g/L concentration of nutritional supplement at the time of the appearance of the second flush by affecting the percentage of dry matter, protein and tissue firmness increased the quality level of button mushrooms and enhanced quantitative level by improving yield indicators such as the number of mushrooms, single weight of mushroom, total yield of flushes and percentage of total yield of compost.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Samira Mikhi; Behnam Doulati; Amir Rahimi
Abstract
Introduction The Lamiaceae is a chief medicinal and aromatic plant family. It is a family of extensive diversity and variety with international distribution. It is known that most of their properties are due to the essential oils they contain as products of their secondary metabolism. The metabolic performance ...
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Introduction The Lamiaceae is a chief medicinal and aromatic plant family. It is a family of extensive diversity and variety with international distribution. It is known that most of their properties are due to the essential oils they contain as products of their secondary metabolism. The metabolic performance of living organisms can be distinguished into primary and secondary metabolisms. Secondary metabolites represent features that can be expressed in terms of ecological, taxonomic, and biochemical differentiation and diversity. The antioxidant properties of the volatile oils are not as robust as that of water-soluble constituents. Oregano, a member of the family is an herb that has been cultivated for centuries in the Mediterranean region, although now it can be found in most continents. Because of variability in composition and origin of different Origanum spp, the antioxidant capacity reported can vary substantially. In one study, oregano had the highest total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content compared with other Lamiaceae herbs, thyme, sage, rosemary, mint, and sweet basil. Istanbul oregano (Origanum vulgare ssp. hirtum (Link) Ietswaart)is a perennial plant with dense indumentum, white and pink flowers, strong fragrance, and flowering in July and August. It grows widelyin the Thrace, Marmara, and west and southern regions of Turkey. The plant is richer in oil and carvacrol content than O. onites and if improved, agronomic affairs would offer a better alternative. The environmental and social reasons indicate that conventional agriculture constitutes a continuous pressure contributing to the progressive worsening of environmental conditions. In this matter, the increasing use of saline irrigation water is one of the main factors resulting in salt accumulation in the plant rhizosphere. In this situation, soil degradation emphasized the need to develop strategies of salt affected soil reclamation. One of the possible solutions is to use humic substances. Micronutrients are essential elements that are used by plants in small quantities. Yield and quality of agricultural products increased with micronutrients application; therefore, human and animal health is protected with a feed of enrichment plant materials. Each essential element only can perform its role in plant nutrition properly when other necessary elements are available in balanced ratios for the plant. The aim of this trial was to study the effects of some micronutrients and humic substances on the antioxidant activity of the plant. Materials and Methods The trial was conducted at the experimental fields (37.53° N, 45.08° E, and 1320 m) and the greenhouse of the Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture and the Lab of Biology Department, Urmia University, during 2015-2016, prepared in a randomized complete block design in three replications, using Fe, Zn, Cu, humic acid and their incorporation (3 g Lit-1) spray as treatments. The land was plowed at the optimum moisture level (field capacity) and leveled. Phosphorus and Potassium fertilizers were applied at pre-sowing time in autumn, according to soil analysis and farrowed in 50 cm. The seeds for sowing were obtained from Turkey. Sowing was done in green house at the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, during the period from 21. 03. 2015 till 06.05.2015. The seeds were sowed in plastic pots filled with soil, sand, and peat moss substrate as a material for germination. After that sowing was irrigated regularly depending on weather conditions and development stage of plants. Seedlings were harvested and planted in the experimental field. Nitrogen fertilizer was used in planting time, and vegetative phase according to soil analysis. Irrigation was conducted depending on plants need. Harvestings were done in 50% flowering. Physical and chemical characteristics of the field soil were determined by the standard method. Total phenolic content, flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, nitric oxide radical scavenging activity, and Chain-breaking activitywere determined. Results The aim of this study was to increase the amount of oregano essential oil, and the use of micronutrients and humic substances increased the essential oil content of the plant. According to the results, the highest and lowest leaf dry weight was related to Zn+Cu+HA+Fe and Cu treatments, respectively. The highest essential oil content (3.50%) was recorded in Zn+Cu+HA and the lowest (2.28%) in Fe+HA treatments. The highest amount of total phenol in the plant leaves (72.7 g gallic acid/ 100 g DW) in Zn, flavonoid content (88.8 g quercetin/ 100 g DW) in HA and DPPH radical scavenging activity (74.1%) were observed in Fe+Cu+Zn+HA sprayings. In addition maximum nitric oxide radical scavenging (50.3%) and Chain-breaking activity (70.7 -Abs-3/min/mg extract) were observed in Zn and Fe+Zn treatments, respectively. In conclusion, the type of micronutrients and humic substances can affect the quality traits such as essential oil and antioxidant activity and according to the use target of the plant, combined and non-combined consumption of micronutrients, and humic substances can be recommended.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Hananeh Bahmaniyan; Habibollah Nadian Ghomsheh; Nafiseh Rang Zan
Abstract
Introduction With limited arable land available around the word, some ways can be used to increase the production per unit area to meet the increasing human need for food. In addition to quantity, consideration of quality of products can lead to improve communities’ health. So, in the last few ...
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Introduction With limited arable land available around the word, some ways can be used to increase the production per unit area to meet the increasing human need for food. In addition to quantity, consideration of quality of products can lead to improve communities’ health. So, in the last few decades, application of organic and bio fertilizers has been taken into account in order to increase quantity of products as well as their quality. Mycorrhiza fungi are the most abundant microorganisms in the soil and are considered as essential factor in sustainable soil-plant system. The use of existing organic and inorganic fertilizers may stimulate the Mycorrhiza-plant root symbiosis and ensure the supply of nutrients to the plant for sustainable production. Filtercake is a main byproduct of sugarcane industry which is obtain during the processing of sugarcane syrup. Filtercake can be transformed into the valuable source of nutrients by biodegradation processes. Many studies have suggested that the use of fertilizers along with Mycorrhiza, especially phosphorous fertilizers, has negative effects on fungi symbiosis with plant root. Regarding this issue, the question arises that due to richness of Filtercake of organic matter, nutrients and microorganisms, is the Mycorrhiza interdependency affected by the addition of this organic manure to the soil? In order to answer this question, the present study was conducted to investigatethe interaction effect of Mycorrhiza(Glomus Intraradices)andFiltercake on coriander (Coriandrum Sativum L.) production. Materials and Methods In order to study the interaction effect of Filtercake and Mycorrhiza on the coriander production, a pot experiment was conducted in factorial completely randomized design with consideration of Mycorrhiza fungi (Glomus Intraradices) treatments at two levels of non-inoculation (m1) and inoculation with Mycorrhiza (m2), Filtercake in three levels of zero (f1), 1.5 (f2) and 3 wt.% (f3) with coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) as experimental plant in 4 replicates in the greenhouse of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan during 2017-2018. Twelve weeks after sowing plants were harvested and considered parameters were measured. Data analysis was performed using SAS. Comparison of the meanings was performed using Duncan's test at 5% level. Excel were used to draw charts and graphs. Results and Discussion The highest plant height and root length were observed in treatment consist of Mycorrhiza and 3% Filtercake. Same trend was observed in case of aboveground (cilantro) and root dry weight. The presence of organic matter, increasing of quasi-hormonal activity and improvement of physical, chemical and biological properties of soil are among the factors that provide favorable conditions for vegetative growth and, as a result, increase plant yield. The application of Mycorrhiza increases concentrations of phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium in cilantro, at about 103, 40, 16 and 12 percent, respectively, which are about 11, 105 and 31 percent in case of iron, zinc and copper. Mycorrhiza has a positive effect on the nutrients content in plant, which can be attributed to increased absorption through the fungal hyphae and also to the enrichment of the plant's rhizosphere. The concentration of nutrients in cilantro was significantly increased due to increase in Filtercake level. Since most of the nutrients in the soil are immobilized, the addition of Mycorrhiza fungi can help to improve nutrient uptake by increasing the volume of root access and stimulating the mineralization processes. Application of Filtercake along with Mycorrhiza improves the biological status of the fungi. Increasing the level of the Filtercake from 0 to 3 percent increases colonized Root length, Mycorrhiza interdependency and colonization percent by 51, 22 and 28 percent, respectively. According to the results, the use of Filtercake not only does not reduce the Mycorrhiza indices, but also increases them and act as a key factor for encouraging symbiosis of fungi and plant, so contribute to the enhancement of plant growth parameters. Conclusion In most of the studied characteristics, the maximum amount were observed in the treatment containing 3% Filtercake and Mycorrhiza. So, the simultaneous application of Filtercake and Mycorrhiza increased the growth parameters of the coriander. Although both of treatments (Filtercake and Mycorrhiza) have been effective in increasing the concentration of essential elements in aboveground part of plant, the effect of Mycorrhiza on increasing the concentration of phosphorus and zinc is greater than its effect on other elements, which is for iron and copper in case of Filtercake. The use of organic manure, such as Filtercake, even with high nutrient content, cannot affect the Mycorrhiza interdependency and other colonization indices due to the low release rate of these elements into the soil environment. It seems that the combination of Mycorrhiza and Filtercake by increasing the microbial and enzymatic activities in the soil and the separate application of Mycorrhiza and Filtercake by improving the access ability of the nutrients leads to provide better growth of the plant.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Azam Razavi Nasab; Amir Fotovat; alireza astaraie; ahmad tajabadipour
Abstract
Introduction Pistachio is one of the most economical cash crops in Iran that is located in arid and semi-arid regions with low soil organic matter and very harmful ions. The enhancement of the organic matter in sufficient quantity and quality plays an important role in agricultural production and soil ...
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Introduction Pistachio is one of the most economical cash crops in Iran that is located in arid and semi-arid regions with low soil organic matter and very harmful ions. The enhancement of the organic matter in sufficient quantity and quality plays an important role in agricultural production and soil sustainable management. The application of organic matter promotes physical, chemical, and microbial soil conditions, such as soil aggregate stability, water holding capacity, productivity, and fertility which are essential, particularly in the arid and semi-arid regions of Iran. Municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) and cow manure are two cheap, available, and effective organic materials that can be used in pistachio orchards to improve soil condition and better root growth and more effective nutrient uptake. Gypsum is a chemical material that can replace Ca with Na, especially in saline and sodic soil and cause Na leaching from the soil profile. Sulfur oxidation and gypsum produce acid in the soil and lead to the reduction in pH and the amending of the soil condition. The present study investigated the effects of two organic matters (MSWC and cow manure), two chemical matters (gypsum and sulfur) on some nutrient concentrations in different soil depths (0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm depths) and the leaf of pistachio seedlings at the field condition. Materials and Methods A field experiment in a randomized complete block design (split-plot) with three replications was conducted for two years in Izadyaran Company (30 km south of Sirjan, Kerman Province, Iran with hot and dry climates). Treatments were two organic wastes (MSWC and cow manure, 15 Mg ha-1 as the major factor, two chemical amendments (gypsum and sulfur, 10 Mg ha-1) as subplot factor, and soil depths (0-20, 20-40, and 40-60 cm) as the sub-subplot. The organic and chemical matter were poured into the pit of planting and mixed well with soil and a one-year-pistachio seedling was planted (February 2012). In the middle of the summer (August 2013) and at the end of winter (February 2014), plant leaves and soil sampling were done respectively and macro elements’ (Na, K, Ca, Mg, N, and P) concentrations were measured and then statically analyzed with SAS software. Results and Discussion MSWC and sulfurs cause the increase of available K in 40-60 cm depth, because of more mobility of K in comparison to other ions. MSW contains K and sulfur through the reduction in pH that leads to MSW decomposing and increases the available K. Sulfur application rises Ca of soil solution more than gypsum because of common ion effect. MSWC and gypsum also enhanced Mg of the soil solution in 20-40 cm depth. Not only MSWC contained Mg but also SO42- solved some parts of solid MgCO3 and increased Mg in soil solution. On the other hand, mineralization of cow manure increased the available P in 20-40 cm depth. None of the treatments were significant on the concentration of soil Na and N. Probably Na was leaching in primary irrigation and mineralized N was quickly absorbed by the plant. Results of this experiment showed that treatments were not significant on the concentration of Na, K, and Mg of pistachio leaves. The application of cow manure increased Ca and P, and cow manure and sulfur increased the N concentration of leaves. The enhanced concentration of elements may be attributed to the increased nutrient levels in cow manure. Sulfur because of sulfuric acid production in soil solution, declined soil pH and led to more nutrient uptake. This phenomenon continuously provides available nutrients in usable form to the plants. These results may be illustrated by the postulated slow release and contiguous storage of nutrients from organic wastes, such as MSWC and cow manure that increased soil nutrient content after a year. Gypsum, with replacing Na with Ca, decreased harmful ions, such as Na and both gypsum and sulfur and because of sulfuric acid production in soil solution, declined soil pH and then led to soil reclamation and more nutrient uptake. The interaction effect of organic and chemical matters’ treatments ,in the same way, can increase some essential nutrients in the soil and plant significantly because of the synergic effect of the organic and chemical soil reclamation. Conclusion Results of this study illustrated that it is possible to improve the fertility of saline-sodic soils and plant nutrition with cheap and available organic and chemical materials, such as cow manure and MSWC, gypsum, and sulfur. However, due to the difference in mobility of ions, their concentrations vary in different depths, but with the proper planning, the essential elements can be reached to plants at the right time, especially for a strategic plant like pistachio.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Yaser Azimzadeh; Nosratollah Najafi; Adel Reyhanitabar; Shahin Oustan; Alireza Khataee
Abstract
Introduction Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for living organisms. Discharging P from various sources, such as industrial wastewater and agricultural waters, into surface water causes eutrophication and undermines the balance of aquatic ecosystems and imposes many costs due to water quality degradation. ...
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Introduction Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for living organisms. Discharging P from various sources, such as industrial wastewater and agricultural waters, into surface water causes eutrophication and undermines the balance of aquatic ecosystems and imposes many costs due to water quality degradation. In addition, mineral resources of P-fertilizers in the world are unrecoverable and are coming to an end. Therefore, it is very important to develop adsorbents to remove P from contaminated water and then be used as P-fertilizer for surmounting the eutrophication and P-fertilizer exhausting challenges. In the last few years, biochar and hydrochar have been considered as low-cost porous eco-friendly adsorbents with a high surface area and easy to produce and use. Biochar and hydrochar are carbonaceous solids that are produced from the carbonization of biomasses and could be used as adsorbents and soil amendments. However, because of their high negative charge and very low ability to absorb anions, especially phosphate, they cannot be used as phosphate adsorbents. In recent years, several methods have been introduced to change the surface of biochar and hydrochar to increase their anion adsorption capacity. In this respect, the successful results of the production and the use of engineered biochars, such as layered double hydroxides (LDHs) functionalized biochar (LDH-biochar) and LDH-hydrochar composites have been provided. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are brucite-like compounds with a large specific surface area, high positive charge, and exchangeable interlayer anions. LDHs functionalized biochar and hydrochar composites are environmentally friendly adsorbents for the removal of phosphate from aqueous solutions. Also, P-loaded LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar composites have the potential application as a P-fertilizer. These composites may increase soil available-P through the slow release of P and can improve soil properties and fertility due to the presence of the biochar and hydrochar in their structure. So, the P-loaded LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar may affect the availability of soil nutrients and plant growth. Nitrogen (N), P, and potassium (K) are the macronutrients that have a direct and great influence on plants growth. Therefore, the aims of this study were: (I) producing LDH-biochar and LDH- hydrochar composites and loading them with phosphate. (II) Investigating the effects of the biochar, hydrochar, LDH, LDH-biochar, LDH-hydrochar, the P-loaded LDH-biochar (LDH-biochar-P), and LDH-hydrochar (LDH-hydrochar-P) on dry matter and concentrations of P, N, and K in corn shoot and root. Materials and Methods Biochar was produced from applewood feedstock through slow pyrolysis at 600 ºC for 1 h under Argon flow conditions. Hydrochar was produced through hydrothermal carbonization of the applewood feedstock at 180 ºC and 11 bars pressure for 12 h. Then by precipitation of LDH particles on the biochar and hydrochar surfaces, LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar composites were prepared. The LDH particles were synthesized via a combined fast co-precipitation and hydrothermal treatment route. Each gram of LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar composites was loaded with 51 and 47 mg P, respectively. Then using a factorial experiment on the basis of completely randomized design with three replications, the effects of biochar, hydrochar, LDH, LDH-biochar, LDH-hydrochar, LDH-biochar-P, and LDH-hydrochar-P were studied in presence and absence of monocalcium phosphate fertilizer on corn dry matter and concentrations of N, P, and K in corn shoot and concentrations of P and K in corn root. Results and Discussion The results showed that the biochar had a higher yield and ash percentage, pH and electrical conductivity (EC) as compared with the hydrochar. The concentrations of all studied nutrients in the biochar, except for N, were greater than those of hydrochar and biomass. The P, K, Na, Fe, Mn, and Zn concentrations in biochar and hydrochar were significantly greater than the initial biomass. The application of P-fertilizer increased root and shoot dry matters in all treatments, except for LDH-biochar-P and LDH-hydrochar-P treatments. Biochar and hydrochar had no significant effects on root and shoot dry matter in non-P-fertilized treatments and had no significant effects on P and K concentrations of corn root and shoot. However, biochar and hydrochar increased shoot dry matter in P-fertilized treatments. The highest root and shoot dry matters, P concentrations of root and shoot, and N concentration of shoot were obtained in the presence of the LDH-biochar-P and LDH-hydrochar-P, and the lowest root and shoot dry matters of corn were observed in the presence of the LDH. Application of P-fertilizer increased P concentrations of corn root and shoot in the presence of the LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar but decreased the K concentration of root in biochar, LDH-biochar and no amendment treatments and had no significant effects on N and K concentrations in the shoot. The application of P-fertilizer decreased P translocation factor in presence of the LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar and had no significant effect on P translocation factor in all other treatments. Using P-fertilizer had no significant effect on K translocation factor in all treatments. Biochar, hydrochar, LDH, LDH-biochar, and LDH-hydrochar had no significant effects on P and K translocation factors. The translocation factor of P was greater than 1 in all treatments, except for the LDH-biochar-P and LDH-hydrochar-P treatments. Also, the translocation factor of K was greater than that of P in all treatments. Conclusion Due to the structural similarities between biochar and hydrochar, LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar, and LDH-biochar-P and LDH-hydrochar-P, the root and shoot dry matter and concentrations of the studied elements in corn root and shoot were not significantly different between the biochar and hydrochar, LDH-biochar and LDH-hydrochar, and LDH-biochar-P and LDH-hydrochar-P treatments, respectively. P-fertilizer had synergistic relationships with biochar, hydrochar, LDH-biochar, and LDH-hydrochar but antagonistic relationships with LDH, LDH-biochar-P, and LDH-hydrochar-P composites in terms of dry matter and P concentrations in corn root and shoot. So, applications of the biochar, hydrochar, LDH-biochar, and LDH-hydrochar accompanied by P-fertilizer and the use of LDH-biochar-P and LDH-hydrochar-P without the application of P-fertilizer can be proposed for corn cultivation under similar conditions.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Elham Mirparizi; Mojtaba Barani motlagh; Alireza Movahedi; REZA GHORBANINASRABADI; Somayeh Bakhtiary
Abstract
Introduction: Among the micronutrients required by plants, iron deficiency has the maximum limitation for agricultural crops. Iron plays an important role in synthesis of chlorophyll, energy transfer in plants, formation and synthesis of special enzymes, and fixation of nitrogen. Deficiency of iron in ...
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Introduction: Among the micronutrients required by plants, iron deficiency has the maximum limitation for agricultural crops. Iron plays an important role in synthesis of chlorophyll, energy transfer in plants, formation and synthesis of special enzymes, and fixation of nitrogen. Deficiency of iron in plants causes chlorosis or yellowing of young leaves. Iron deficiency is developed due to imbalance of metal ions including copper and manganese, large phosphorus in soil, poor aeration, low temperatures, soil iron deficiency, low organic content, and high concentration of bicarbonate in the root environment. To solve the problem of iron deficiency in plants, very expensive methods are used. Usage of solid wastes of copper melting factories such as slag as soil modifying materials can be useful in iron nutrition. The possibility of using reverb furnace slag of Sarcheshmeh Copper complex as an iron fertilizer was examined in a calcareous soil. Since copper slag contain considerable amount of iron (53.8% iron oxides), therefore, its proper management can solve the problem of iron deficiency in calcareous soils. Materials and Methods: To investigate the effect of copper slag and organic compounds on iron availability and growth of Sorghum plant, (Speed Feed cultivar), a soil sample was harvested with low soil absorbable iron and organic compound. After air-drying, the soil samples were passed through a 2-mm sieve. Some physiochemical properties of the soil sample used, organic compounds, and the slag were characterized by typical experimental methods. The experimental design was performed as a factorial experiment (copper slag and organic compounds) in a completely randomized design with three replicates. The experimental treatments included five levels of organic compound (pistachio shell and cow manure at two levels of 2% , 4% and the control sample) and 10 levels of iron (copper slag, copper slag with sulfur, copper slag with sulfur and thiobacillus, acidic slag (each at two levels), Fe-EDDHA, and control sample). The experimental treatments were incubated for 3 months. Treatments were then applied to 3 kg samples of soils and the treated samples were incubated in plastic containers at field capacity (FC) moisture content for up to 90 days. At the end of incubation period, 10 sorghum seeds were cultivated in each pot. Foliar application of Fe-EDTA with a concentration of 5 ppm in addition to the mentioned treatments. Harvesting sorghum shoot was performed 90 days after the cultivation. The plant samples were dried for 48 h at 70°C. After digestion of the plant samples by wet oxidation method, concentration of iron, zinc, nickel and cobalt were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Soil samples were also taken from the pots. After being air-dried, the soil samples were passed through a 2-mm sieve. Amount of electrical conductivity, soluble sodium, concentration of calcium and magnesium as well as iron, zinc, nickel, and cobalt were measured. All statistical analyses were performed using SAS software. Means of different treatments were compared using LSD (P ≤0.05) test.Results and Discussion: Application of acidic slag increased the soluble sodium and sodium absorption ratio and decreased the soil absorbable iron content. Application of 4 times critical level as slag (S4) increased iron and zinc absorbable by soil, as well as increased concentration of the plant iron. The copper slag with sulfur and thiobacillus developed the maximum absorbable zinc in soil. Comparison of the organic compounds indicated that cow manure has a greater influence on the amount of absorbable iron in soil, iron concentration and uptake by the plant than pistachio shell. On the other hand, with reduction of the concentration of heavy metals, its application is recommended in comparison with pistachio shell. The content of zinc, nickel, and cobalt in the studied plant did not exceed the toxicity level. Heavy metals have low mobility in the soil and are often stabilized by soil colloids or precipitate as different compounds. For this reason, their mobility and transference to shoot diminish. Conclusion: The slag from copper melting has micro nutrient including iron and zinc. Therefore, it can be concluded that the copper slag has the potential of a source supplying elements for plants. These results confirm the lack of use of acidic treatments. In addition of iron and zinc availability for plants, measurement of other heavy metals in the plant showed that the concentration of measured heavy metals was below their toxicity level. Therefore, suitability of this compound for agriculture will be confirmed. Since addition of heavy metals to soil has various environmental effects, thus repetitive use of slag and its use in large amounts are not recommended. As in absorption of nutrients, immobility in soil, stabilization of metal in the root, and preventing its transference to shoot organs are among the mechanisms of plant when exposed to high concentration of heavy metals, it is suggested that the amount of heavy metals be studied in the root.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
banafsheh rezaee niko; Naeimeh Enayatizamir; mojtaba norozi masir
Abstract
Introduction Zinc is one of the imperative micronutrients required relatively in small concentrations in tissues for healthy growth and reproduction of plants. Zinc deficiency in plants leads to reduced membrane integrity and synthesis of carbohydrates, auxins, nucleotides, cytochromes, and chlorophyll ...
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Introduction Zinc is one of the imperative micronutrients required relatively in small concentrations in tissues for healthy growth and reproduction of plants. Zinc deficiency in plants leads to reduced membrane integrity and synthesis of carbohydrates, auxins, nucleotides, cytochromes, and chlorophyll and develops susceptibility to heat stress. The solubility of Zn is highly dependent upon soil pH and moisture and hence arid and semiarid areas are often zinc-deficient. The use of microorganisms with the aim of improving nutrients availability for plants is an important practice and necessary for agriculture. Zinc-solubilizing microorganisms can solubilize zinc from inorganic and organic pools of total soil zinc and can be utilized to increase zinc availability to plants. Therefore, the present study was carried out to isolate and characterize native zinc-solubilizing bacteria from Zea mays rhizosphere and evaluate their zinc-solubilizing potential and the effect of zinc solubilizing isolate on Zea mays growth.Materials and Methods: In vitro zinc solubilization assay of isolates was done using 0.1% zinc from zinc oxide in both plate and broth assays. Actively growing cultures of each isolates were spot-inoculated (7 µL) onto the agar and plates were incubated at 28°C for 48 h. The clearing zone around colony was recorded. Quantitative study of zinc solubilization was studied in 150 mL conical flasks containing 50 mL of liquid mineral salt medium. The broth was inoculated with 10 µL of overnight grown bacterial inoculum and incubated for 72 h at 160 rpm in an incubator shaker at 28°C. After incubation, the culture broth was centrifuged and the concentration of Zn in the supernatant was estimated in atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Among these isolates, 18 isolates with a solubility index of 1 and higher were selected based on morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics for further studies. An isolate with more ability to dissolve zinc, phosphorus, potassium and auxin production were selected for investigation the effect of isolate on Zea mays growth. Maize seeds of cultivable variety were surface sterilized with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 5 min and washed several times with sterile distilled water. Seeds were treated with inoculum containing 108 cfu•g−1 of isolate. A factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with five replications was conducted. The treatments included two levels of bacteria B1 (control), B2 (Stenotrophomonas) and zinc sulfate fertilizer at three levels of Zn0 (control), Zn20 (20 kg/ha) and Zn40 (40 kg/ha). After 60 days of sowing, plants were removed from the tubes carefully and biometric parameters like root length, shoot length and dry mass of plants were recorded as the indicative of plant growth. Results and Discussion: A total of 50 bacterial isolates were isolated from corn rhizosphere. Of all, sixteen isolates showed solubilization halo on plate agar medium. Among the cultures, Z1, Z3, Z16 and Z12 showed the highest solubilisation zone in ZnO amended medium with maximum solubility index (1.3). Quantitative assay for zinc solubilisation revealed that Z14 were able to dissolve 44.8 ppm from ZnO in liquid medium. While solubility index of this isolate was lower that above mentioned isolates (1). Of all, the isolate Z14 with highest zinc solubilisation by broth assay was characterized and identified as Stenotrophomonasspecies based on Gram-negtive reaction and other biochemical and physiological properties. This isolate was able to produce auxin and dissolve insoluble phosphorus and potassium from the source tricalcium phosphate and vermiculte, respectively. One of these strains (Z14), Stenotrophomonas was used as inoculum in corn culture. Seed bacterization of maize with zinc solubilising Stenotrophomonas enhanced the plant growth significantly after 15 days. Results indicated a significant interaction effect of bacterium and fertilizer on shoot dry weight and chlorophyll content (p < 0.01). The maximum spad index and wet weight of aerial part obtained at present of bacterium and without using of zinc sulfate. The main effect of bacterium on wet and dry weight of root and wet weight of aerial part, root length and shoot height was significant (p < 0.01). َApplication of bacterium in all treatments caused to increased all measured parameters in th eperesence of zinc fertilizer or absence of zinc fertilizer.Conclusion: PGPR is known as a group of useful rhizospheric bacteria that increase plant growth. Today, the increasing use of PGPRs in agriculture as an alternative to chemical fertilizers to prevent environmental contamination.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Majid Hejazi
Abstract
Zinc (Zn), an essential micronutrient for both plants and humans, is involved in a number of physiological and biochemical processes. Calcareous soils cover more than 30% of the earth’s land and are characterized by the high pH and low availability of plant nutrients. Zinc (Zn) that is freely available ...
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Zinc (Zn), an essential micronutrient for both plants and humans, is involved in a number of physiological and biochemical processes. Calcareous soils cover more than 30% of the earth’s land and are characterized by the high pH and low availability of plant nutrients. Zinc (Zn) that is freely available in acid soils is only sparingly available in calcareous soils, due to their poor solubility at high pH. Zinc deficiency in most of the world’s soils has resulted in significant loss of agricultural yields. Information about Zn availability in soils is very important in the view point of Zn nutritional status of plant and human. Several soil physicochemical properties including organic matter, CaCO3, pH, moisture and total Zn concentration affect soil Zn availability to plants. Under Zn deficiency, plants tend to release organic acid in the rhizosphere which in turn increases soil Zn availability. Oxalic acid is the simplest dicarboxylic acid with two pKa values, 1.23 and 4.19 and it occurs in sediments, forest soils, and agricultural soils, especially in the rhizosphere. Oxalic acid is able to chelate with the poorly soluble nutrients in the soil and consequently influence their bioavailability. It is known that Zn availability is controlled by adsorption, release, precipitation and dissolution reactions. Study of kinetic models is a useful method to describe the changes in the nutrient availability with time. A knowledge of desorption kinetics may provide important information concerning the nature of reaction and the rate of Zn supply to plants via soil solution. Materials and methods Composite samples of the two soils were collected from 0-30 cm depth of agricultural areas in Kerman province, Eastern Iran. The samples were air dried, crushed and passed through a 2mm sieve. Some soil chemical and physical properties of soil sample including Particle size distribution, Electrical conductivity and pH, Organic carbon, carbonate calcium equivalent, cation exchange capacity, available Zn and Total content of Zn were done according to standard procedures. For the kinetic study, soil samples were weighed (1.5g), placed in a 20 mL centrifuge tube and then 15 mL of oxalic acid with two concentrations of 1.1 and 2.2 mµ L-1 was added. The tubes were shaken from 1 to 72h at 25±2°C. Two drops of toluene were added to each tube to inhibit microbial activity. After shaking, the solutions were centrifuged and filtered through Whatman filter paper No. 42. Zinc concentration was determined in the filtrate using a Vario atomic absorption spectrometer. Several kinetic equations including zero-, first-, second- and third order, parabolic diffusion, Power function and simple elovich were also fitted to experimental data. Results and discussion Zn release by oxalic acid increased with time and the amount of Zn release differed between soils. The difference in the amount of Zn release may be attributed to differences in (i) the total amount of labile Zn which sorbed in the soil; (ii) types, quantities and relative proportions of the soil components by which the Zn is retained and (iii) other soil properties such pH and CEC. The release pattern of Zn included an initial fast reaction followed by a slow reaction that continued up to 72 h. The two phases of Zn release can be due to the heterogeneity of adsorption site with different adsorption affinities. The release kinetic of Zn in soils was poorly described by first- and second-order equations while Time dependent Zn release was best modeled by the simple Elovich, power function and parabolic diffusion equations. Based on the relatively higher values of r2 and the lower values of S.E., the simple Elovich showed the best fitness on the cumulative release of Zn. At each specified time, the lower dose of oxalic acid released Zn from soil more than the higher dose. Organic acids may increase the sorption of metal ions on soil particles through electrostatic interactions, ternary metal–ligand–surface complex formation or surface precipitation. It seems that Zn may interact with oxalic acid where adsorbed to solid phases and resulted in decreased Zn release. The rate parameters derived from the best-fitted model were used to compare Zn release by different concentrations of oxalic acid. The results showed that the rate parameters “ab”, Kp and β decreased with the oxalic acid concentration. Conclusion From the present study, oxalic acid, especially at the lower rate, can increase Zn release and its bioavailability in calcareous soils.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Abstract
Introduction: Shortage of non-saline and high quality irrigation water is a serious problem in agricultural farms which limits crop productions. Proper nutrient management is one of the key solutions to decreasing the adverse effects of salinity. Zinc is an essential trace element that can alleviate ...
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Introduction: Shortage of non-saline and high quality irrigation water is a serious problem in agricultural farms which limits crop productions. Proper nutrient management is one of the key solutions to decreasing the adverse effects of salinity. Zinc is an essential trace element that can alleviate the negative effects of toxic ions on plant growth under the saline environments. Therefore, in this study, the effect of zinc an enhancer agent of saline irrigation water of wheat farms was investigated. Materials and Methods: A factorial experiment was conducted based on randomized completed block design with four replications. The Experiment was under the greenhouse condition located in Borazjan Research Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources during 2012-2013. The first factor comprised four levels of salinity including 4 (control), 8, 12 and 16 dS.m-1. The second factor was application of four levels of zinc including 0, 10, 20 and 30 mg.kg-1 soil. Results and Discussion: Our results suggested that increase in zinc concentration could significantly alleviate negative effects of salinity stress on plant height. The highest plant height (84.13 Cm) was achieved by application of 30 mg.kg-1 soilzinc. Although increase in salinity stress reduced wheat growth potential there was no significant difference between 4 dS.m-1 (86.32 Cm) and 8 dS.m-1 (80.19 Cm) on the plant height. The lowest number of grain in spike (36.19) was observed in control treatment while the maximum number of grain in spike (53.44) was produced under 30 mg.kg-1 soil zinc. Increase of salinity from 4 to 16 dS.m-1 drastically reduced the number of grain in spike from 50 to 39.69. Application of 30 mg.kg-1 soilzinc resulted in higher RWC (85.02%) compared to control (69.30%). Increase in zinc concentrations led to a higher chlorophyll and carotenoid content. There was no significant difference between 10 and 20 mg.kg-1 soilzinc sulfate on chlorophyll content. Increasing salinity from 4 dS.m-1 to 12 dS.m-1 resulted in reduction of chlorophyll a from 2.58 to 2.08 mg.gr-1 fw, chlorophyll b from 0.79 to 0.59 mg.gr-1 fw and total chlorophyll from 3.76 to 2.90 mg.gr-1 fw. Zinc promoted synthesis of carotenoid. Carotenoid contents reached 8.43 mg.gr-1 fw by the application of 30 mg.kg soil-1. The maximum carotenoid content (9.30 mg.gr-1 fw) was observed at 8 dS.m-1 salinity while there was no significant difference with carotenoid content of 4 dS.m-1 (8.99 mg.gr-1 fw). However, by increasing salinity stress, the carotenoid content significantly reduced and the lowest carotenoid content (6.70 mg.gr-1 fw) was observed at 16 dS.m-1 salinity. Zinc content of leaf and grain of wheat significantly increase by the application of 30 mg.kg-1 soil zinc and in the highest concentration of fertilizer, zinc content of leaf and grain reached 32.07 and 63.76 mg.kgr-1 respectively. The highest wheat biological yield (1577.50 g.m-2) was observed in 4 dS.m-1 with 30 mg Zn kg-1 soil while the lowest biological yield (986.39 g.m-2) was observed at no added fertilizer and salinity of 16 dS.m-1. The maximum wheat grain yield (692.03 g.m-2) was observed in salinity of 4 dS.m-1 with 30 mg Zn kg-1 soil while the lowest grain yield (459.39 g.m-2) was observed at no added fertilizer treatment and salinity of 16 dS.m-1. Our results clearly proved that application of zinc could alleviate negative effects of salinity stress on wheat grain yield. Wheat biological yield at salinity of 16 dS.m-1 with no added fertilizer reached 986.39 g.m-2 while at the same salinity, application of 30 mg Zn kg-1 soil zinc enhanced biological yield to 1131.80 g.m-2. Although salinity level from 4 to 16 dS.m-1 significantly reduced wheat grain yield application of 30 mg.kg-1 soil zinc increase grain yield from 459.39 g.m-2 to 506.94 g.m-2 in 16 dS.m-1 salinity. Conclusion: Wheat yield was significantly affected by the quality of irrigation water. The higher the concentrations of salinity, the lower wheat yield will be produced. However, our results revealed that application of zinc is an effective way of reducing salinity to restrict wheat grain yield. This trace element enhances plant production of photosynthetic pigments; therefore, physiological performance of the crop was improved under saline conditions. Application of 30 mg Zn kg-1 soil was highly recommended in farms with saline irrigation water.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Amir Rahimi; Behnam Doulati; Saied Heydarzadeh
Abstract
Introduction Nutritional deficiencies (e.g. Iron, Zinc, Manganese and Boron) account for almost two‐thirds of the childhood death worldwide. Most of those afflicted are dependent on staple crops for their sustenance. Declining soil fertility in many countries, duo to continuous cropping systems, has ...
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Introduction Nutritional deficiencies (e.g. Iron, Zinc, Manganese and Boron) account for almost two‐thirds of the childhood death worldwide. Most of those afflicted are dependent on staple crops for their sustenance. Declining soil fertility in many countries, duo to continuous cropping systems, has reduced soil production capacity affected by depletion of soil nutrient without proper replacement. Soil application of prepared humic substances is not economical, but the response to foliar sprays has the potential to be economical because the relatively small quantities are needed. Foliar application is one of the swift response methods for plants to add fertilizer, which leads to dispel of nutrients deficiency and providence in the use of chemical fertilizers. The solubility of nutrients decreases in soils with high acidity or undesirable chemical composition and can be possibility of ionic competition (Antagonism) or the accumulation of nutrient in soilcanlee resulthed. Therefore, adsorption of nutrients and root growth will be inappropriate. On the other hand, the application of humic substance with improving physical, chemical and biological conditions causes an increase in adsorption and soil fertility. Using humic substances is another benefit of the reduction of environmental pollution in order to achieve sustainable agriculture. A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. Sugar beet is one of the strategic crops and is widely cultivated in the West Azerbaijan region. So, the aim of this study was to investigate the application of humic substances and micronutrient on some quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sugar beet. Material and Methods This study was carried out as a randomized complete block design with six levels of humic substance (0, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 kg ha-1) and foliar application of micronutrients including Fe, Zn, B, and Mn with 3 replications. Physicochemical properties of soil (calcium carbonate equilibrium, pH, OC, EC, micro and macro elements, soil texture) were determined by standard methods. There fore, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of sugar beet including total sugar content, pure sugar content, and molasses sugar content, Na, K and N content in root, alkalinity, sugar extraction coefficient, root yield and pure sugar and total sugar yield were determined in sugar beet samples. Results The results showed that the application of humic and micronutrient was significant in qualitative and quantitative characteristics of sugar beet. Maximum root yield (68.96 ton ha-1) was obtained in the Mn treatment. The highest of pure (16.30%), gross sugars (18.68%) and sugar extraction coefficient (87.25%) was observed in B and 500 kg ha-1 of humic asid treatment. Humic acid application increased nitrogen (27.58%) and root yield (29.08%) compared to control. Also, micronutrient and humic substance application reduced the molasses sugar content and increased potassium in the root of sugar beet. So that the highest (3.48%) and lowest (2.37%) amounts of molasses sugar were obtained in control and 500 kg ha-1 humic acid plus B treatment respectively. Boron is much required for cell division and development in the growth regions of the plant near the tips of shoots and roots. It also affects sugar transport and appears to be associated with some of the functions of calcium. Conclusion According to the results of this study, foliar application of humic substance and micronutrient improved qualitative and quantitative characteristics of sugar beet. The root and refined sugar yields are among the most important components in sugar beet production. Also, treatment of 600 kg ha-1 of humic acid and Mn spraying had the greatest effect on the root and gross sugars yield in sugar beet. Also, the amount of molasses sugar decreased with increasing sugar content and replacing potassium instead of harmful elements. Application of Mn and B may need to be considered for sugar beets. Foliar fertilization with Mn has the beneficial effect mainly on such features like White sugar yield, root, gross sugars yield, and the number of leaves per single sugar beet plants. It can be concluded that the contemporary use of humic substance and micronutrient is recommended in order to achieve adequate yield and preserve the environment.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Faranak Ghasemi; ُSaeid Hojati; Ahmad Landi; Roya Zalaghi
Abstract
Introduction Clay minerals are considered as the main source of ion exchange and storage of nutrients in the soil. Knowledge of change and transformation of minerals, in relation to plant nutrition, fixation and release of elements is important. Sepiolite and palygorskite are fibrous clay minerals widely ...
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Introduction Clay minerals are considered as the main source of ion exchange and storage of nutrients in the soil. Knowledge of change and transformation of minerals, in relation to plant nutrition, fixation and release of elements is important. Sepiolite and palygorskite are fibrous clay minerals widely distributed in arid and semi-arid soils. Both minerals are rich in Mg and therefore, their weathering can significantly affect the chemistry of Mg in soil. Biological weathering which is carried out by living organisms (i.e. plant roots, soil fungi and bacteria) plays an important role in providing nutrients to plants. Hence, the use of microorganisms such as mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of agricultural crops has become more widespread. In recent years several studies have been conducted in relation to the weathering of minerals in the rhizosphere soil. However, few studies in terms of mycorhizal symbiosis with plant roots were carried out on release of Mg from sepiolite and palygorskite. Therefore, a pot experiment with a factorial arrangement through a completely randomized design was conducted to identify how symbiosis of sorghum roots with Glomus mosae mycorhizae affects release of Mg from sepiolite and palygorskite. Materials and Methods Pots containing sterile quartz sand and sepiolite or palygorskite (25-53 µm) were prepared and fungal treatments including presence or absence of fungus Glomus mosae were applied to the pots and then sorghum seeds were sown. Johnson nutrient solutions containing magnesium and without magnesium were used to feed plants during 70 days of experiment. After harvesting, the chlorophyll content, plants height and stem diameter were measured by SPAD, tape measure and caliper, respectively. Afterwards, the roots and shoots were separated and plants biomass and the percentage of roots colonization determined. Then, plants were oven-dried, ground, and the magnesium contents of them after extraction with 1M hydrochloric acid were determined using Agilent 7000 ICP analyzer. The chemical composition of palygorskite, sepiolite, and quartz sand was determined using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and their mineralogical composition was determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) approach. Results and Discussion Analysis of variance for the main effect of treatments on plant height, stem diameter, shoot dry weight and root dry weight showed that the effect of different sources of magnesium on plant height, stem diameter and shoot dry weight was significant (P < 0.01). The highest and lowest height, stem diameter, root and shoot dry matter were found in treatments fed with complete Johnson solutions and the palygorskite, respectively. The results also illustrated that application of Glomus mosae symbiotic mycorhizae significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, and root and shoot dry matter compared with non-mycorhizal treatments. This could be attributed to the fact that Mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosae) absorb more water and nutrients through increased photosynthesis and plant growth, consequently leading to improved plant characteristics when compared with non-mycorhizal crops. The results also showed the highest percentage of root colonization in palygorskite treatments and the lowest one in control. In general, a symbiotic relationship is created to improve low nutrition of elements that the amount of them in the soilwith a little mobility. Therefore, anything that exacerbates this deficiency, leads to an increase in symbiosis between plants and fungi. On the other hand, When plant is faced with more nutrient deficiencies, the demand for a symbiothic fungusGlomus mosae increases. Besides, the greatest magnesium concentration and chlorophyll contents were found in control, sepiolite and palygorskite treatments, respectively. In all treatments, magnesium intake was sufficient to grow sorghum, but as the results show, the amount of magnesium in the control and that of sepiolite was much more than palygorskite. These results clearly show that sepiolite mineral is able to release more Mg than palygorskite. The results also showed that the presence of the fungus Glomus mosae has significantly affected the release of Mg from both minerals. Conclusion In both sepiolite and palygorskite treatments, magnesium and chlorophyll content increased in symbiosis with fungi. This shows the positive effect of Glomus mosae fungus on release of Mg from these two minerals, especially sepiolite. Although, both sepiolite and palygorskite were able to provide enough amounts of Mg for sorghum plants, however, it seems that in long-term Mg released from sepiolite can more easily meet the need of plants when compared with palygorskite.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Soraya Taheri; abdolmajid ronaghi; Reza Ghasemi; Sedigheh Safarzadeh Shirazi
Abstract
Introduction Zinc deficiency is aggravated mainly in arid and semi-arid regions, due to low organic matter and soil moisture as well as high levels of pH and salinity. Maize which serves as staple food is sensitive to Zn deficiency. One of the mechanisms by which plants can adapt to nutrient deficient ...
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Introduction Zinc deficiency is aggravated mainly in arid and semi-arid regions, due to low organic matter and soil moisture as well as high levels of pH and salinity. Maize which serves as staple food is sensitive to Zn deficiency. One of the mechanisms by which plants can adapt to nutrient deficient soils has suggested producing and secreting organic substances, including aliphatic low molecular weight organic acids, into the rhizosphere for mobilization and uptake of nutrients. Under Zn deficiency, plants tend to modify rhizosphere in order to increase Zn phyto-availability. Zinc mobilization efficiency is dependent upon the amount and type of organic acids exuded by plant roots and physiochemical properties of soil. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were to investigate the influence of Zn deficiency on the shoot and root dry matter yields and the release rate of organic acids (malic, citric and acetic acids) commonly identified in root exudations of maize under Zn deficiency conditions. Materials and Methods Seeds of maize (SC703 and SC704) were surface sterilized and germinated in perlite moistened with distilled water. After seven days, the seedlings were transferred to 5-L containers with continuously aerated nutrient solution. Three Zn levels (0, 0.5, and 1 µM) were added to nutrient solutions. Ten weeks after maize emergence, intact plants were removed from nutrient solution and after two hours of the onset of the light period, roots samples were in opaque vessels containing fresh solution. The volume of collected solution was sufficient to submerge the whole maize roots samples. After three hours, roots samples were removed from the vessel and solution containing roots exudates was filtered and frozen at −20 ◦C until analysis of organic acids was performed. Organic acids were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Organic acids in the samples were identified by comparison with the retention time and absorption spectra of pure standards including malic, citric and acetic acid. The 1-cm washed root segments were placed in a beaker containing 10 mL deionized water and then root samples were immersed at 30◦C for three h, and then conductivity of solution was measured. The samples were boiled for 2 min, cooled to room temperature (25◦C) and then EC samples were measured. The electrolyte leakage was calculated as follows: Where C1 and C2 are electrical conductivities measured before and after boiling, respectively. Roots and shoot samples were ignited at 580 ◦C in an oven for 5 h and Zn concentration measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Results and Discussion In both genotypes shoot dry matter yield (SDMY) was significantly improved with increasing Zn concentration in nutrient solution. The highest value of SDMY was 19.8 g and belonged to Zn-adequacy level (1 µM) in SC703 genotype which had no significant difference with SC704 under the same treatments. There was no significant difference between Zn-sufficient and Zn-deficiency (0.5 µM) in SDMY in genotype SC703 whereas, a significant difference was observed at the same treatments in genotype SC704. The lowest value of SDMY was 14.7 g and belonged to the Zn-free treatment for genotype SC704. Root dry matter yield (RDMY) significantly increased with increasing Zn concentration in nutrient solution in both genotypes. The highest value of RDMY was 9.6 g and belonged to the treatment of Zn-adequacy for SC703 genotype which had no significant difference with SC704 genotype under the same treatment. The lowest value of RDMY was 4.8 g which was observed in Zn-free treatment for SC704 genotype. Results showed that the rate of organic acid exudation in both Maize genotypes decreased with increasing Zn levels in nutrient solution. The highest rate of MA exudation (6.6 mg /g root dry weight) was observed in Zn-free (Zn0) treatment in SC703 genotype and the lowest rate (1.98 mg g RDW-1) was observed in 1µm Zn treatment in SC704 genotype. Similar to MA, the rate of citric acid (CA) exudation rate significantly decreased with increasing Zn levels in nutrient solution. The highest rate of CA exudation rate was 1.06 (mg gRDW-1) and observed in Zn-free (Zn0) SC703 genotype. The lowest rate of CA was observed in 1µm Zn treatment SC704 genotype 0.2 (mg gRDW-1). The concentration of acetic acid (AA) was below the detection limit of HPLC in Zn sufficient and Zn deficiency treatments. However, AA concentrations in Zn-free were 0.66 and 0.25 (mg gRDW-1), respectively in SC703 and SC704 genotypes. The rate of MA was significantly higher than CA (4times) and AA (15 times higher). All organic acids exudation rate decreased with increasing Zn concentration in nutrient solution. There was a negative relationship between root and shoot Zn concentration with MA and CA exudation rate. MA, CA and AA exudation rate decreased as the concentration of Zn increased in root and shoot of maize. Roots membrane permeability decreased with increasing Zn concentration in nutrients solution which led to the reduction in root exudations. In both maize genotypes, the highest rate of root membrane permeability belonged to the Zn-free treatment (Zn0) which had the highest root exudation of organic acid and the lowest rate was observed in1µM Zn level with the lowest rate of organic acid exudation. It seems that Zn concentration in maize shoot control the release of root exudation of organic acids. In general, based on the results it can be concluded that SC703 genotype was more tolerant to Zn-deficiency compared to SC704 genotype partly due to the higher release rate of root organic acids. Further investigation is required to fully understand the physiology of organic acids release under Zn deficiency conditions.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Ali Abdolahi; Mehdi Taghavi; Mojtaba Norouzi masir; Abdolamir Moezzi
Abstract
Nanotechnology has created a range of new applications in different stages of agriculture. The application of Nano-fertilizers for plants is of vital importance because of its unique properties, such as the specific surface and high reactivity. Many studies have investigated the effect of metal nanoparticles ...
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Nanotechnology has created a range of new applications in different stages of agriculture. The application of Nano-fertilizers for plants is of vital importance because of its unique properties, such as the specific surface and high reactivity. Many studies have investigated the effect of metal nanoparticles on yield and concentration of elements in the plant. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of Functionalized Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (FIONPs) on plant yield, concentration and uptake of Zinc in root and shoots of wheat under greenhouse cultivation in a calcareous soil. Materials and Methods This study was conducted in the greenhouse condition as a randomized complete design with three replications. Treatment consisted of functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (Hydroxyl: OH, Carboxyl: COOH and Amine: NH2) each at three levels (100, 200 and 300 mg.kg-1), ZnSO4 (40 kg.ha-1) and Control. During the experiment, some parameters such as the plant height and chlorophyll index were measured. At the end of the cultivation period, dry weight and Zn concentration of root, shoot and grain was determined using Atomic absorption apparatus (Perkin elmer A_Analyst 200 model). Likewise, content of soil available Zn was measured using DTPA. Results The amount of available zinc in all levels of iron oxide nanoparticles, except Amine iron oxide nanoparticles (at levels of 200 and 300 mg / kg), was significantly (p < 0.01) increased compared to control. The maximum amount of soil available Zn were observed in levels of 300, 200 and 100 mg.kg-1 Carboxyl iron oxide nanoparticles with 83.64, 70.91 and 63.64% increment compared to control, respectively. Effect of treatments of functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles and zinc sulfate on chlorophyll content, plant height and dry weight of shoots was significant (p < 0.01). The maximum yield of root and shoot was obtained at the level of 300 mg.kg-1 of Carboxyl iron oxide nanoparticles with 34.74 and 25.1% increment compared to control, respectively. The maximum grain yield was observed at the level of 300 mg.kg-1 of Carboxyl iron oxide nanoparticles with 36.51% increment compared to control. The maximum chlorophyll content was obtained in Carboxyl iron oxide nanoparticles (at level of 300 mg. kg-1) with 11.38% increment compared to control. The maximum of Zinc concentration in root, shoot and grain was observed at the level of 300 mg.kg-1 carboxylic oxide nanoparticles with 103.62, 159.26 and 26.87% increment compared to control, respectively. Conclusions The results showed that application of FIONPs improved soil pH and subsequently available zinc of soil. Also, nanoparticles increased the yield, concentration and uptake of zinc in root, shoots and grain of wheat. Therefore, based on the obtained results from this study, it can be said that use of new strategies such as nanoparticles can be useful in improving soil conditions and bioavailability of Micronutrient like Zinc and reducing chemical fertilizers.
Plant Nutrition, Soil Fertility and Fertilizers
Esmaeil Dordipour; Zeinab Bastamikojour; Mojtaba Baranimotlagh; Abdolreza Gharanjiki; Mohsen Olamaee
Abstract
Introduction The most important constraint in maize crop yield in developing contries worldwide, and especially among resource-poor farmers, is soil infertility. Therefore, maintaining soil quality can reduce the problems of land degradation that decreases soil fertility and rapidly declining production ...
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Introduction The most important constraint in maize crop yield in developing contries worldwide, and especially among resource-poor farmers, is soil infertility. Therefore, maintaining soil quality can reduce the problems of land degradation that decreases soil fertility and rapidly declining production levels that occur in large parts of the world which needing the basic principles of good farming practice. For optimum plant growth, nutrients must be available in sufficient and balanced quantities. After nitrogen, phosphorus is the most limiting nutrient for crop yields, and is essential for maize growth and development. Large quantities of chemical fertilizers are used to replenish soil N and P, resulting in high costs and severe environmental contamination. Maize quantity and quality are increased by utilization of fertilizers, which has become the most important objective of these products worldwide. Phosphorus, is the second most important macronutrient required by the plants, next to nitrogen, and is reported to be a critical factor of many crop production systems due to its limited availability in soluble forms in the soils. The low availability of P to plants is because the vast majority of soil P is found in insoluble forms, and plants can only absorb P in two soluble forms, the monobasic (H2PO4-) and the dibasic (HPO42-) ions. Crop plants can therefore utilize only a fraction of applied phosphorus, which ultimately results in poor crop performance. To rectify this and to maintain soil fertility status, frequent application of chemical fertilizers is needed, though it is found to be a costly affair and also environmentally undesirable. Moreover, phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrientionl element for plant growth. Calcareous soils are frequently characterized by the low availability of P for plant uptake due to the low solubility of P compounds present in soils at high pH and the formation of relatively insoluble complexes, e.g., Ca-P. Many soils in Iran have received large amounts of P fertilizer and consequently contained a high level of available P. On the other hand, the root exudation of organic acids has been suggested to increase P availability in calcareous soils. The most common low-molecularweight organic acids (LMWOAs) identified in soils include oxalic, succinic, tartaric, fumaric, malic, and citric acids and are derived from the decomposition of soil organic matter in the upper soil horizons, microbial metabolites, canopy drip, and root exudation. The concentrations of organic acids in the rhizosphere or in soil solutions vary greatly and range from 10-2μM to over 80 mM. The ability of organic acids to release inorganic anions, such as P, has been reported and has been attributed to desorption of inorganic anions and solubilization of phosphate compounds. LMWOAs and their corresponding anions play a very important role to increase P bioavailability. Many studies have been conducted about the role of organic acids in increasing P availability, but these studies focused on acid soils in which Fe- or Al-bound P is the main P fraction. For calcareous soils where Ca-bound P is the main P fraction, questions that whether organic acids can mobilize P or not still exist. Although, a number of results show that addition of organic acids, especially citric and oxalic acids to soils can solubilize significant quantities of fixed P and reduce the sorption of newly applied fertilizer P. However, there are few studies on the transformations of P fractions induced by organic acids or organic anions, which are important for understanding the mobilization mechanisms of P and for exploring better ways of using different forms of P in soils. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of some organic acids and anions on the solubilization and plant uptake of soil P in some calcareous soils of Golestan province, Iran. Material and Methods For this purpose, a factorial pot experiment in a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted on maize. The first factor was comprised of 6 soil types from various areas of the province and the second factor was consisted of a combination of phosphorus fertilizer and organic acids (1) control, (2) 50 mg P kg-1, (3 and 4) 50 mmol kg-1 of organic acids (oxalic and malic acids), (5) P + oxalic acid and, (6) tomato fruit residue (25% w). After 10 weeks, plants were harvested and the parameters such as plant height, fresh and dry weights, phosphorus concentration and its uptake were determined. Results and Discussion Results indicated that soil type effect was statistically significant on the plant fresh and dry weights (P≤ 0.05), height, concentration and uptake of P (P≤ 0.01), respectively. Results also showed that the tomato fruit residue treatment in comparison with P fertilizer and malic acid treatments results in a significant increase in P taken up, and fresh and dry weights (P≤ 0.05). There was a significant difference between P fertilizer + oxalic acid and oxalic acid alone treatments in only plant height (P≤ 0.05). Also, no significant differences in terms of measured plant parameters were observed between malic acid and blank treatments (P≤ 0.05). Conclusion Application of tomato fruit residue rather than P fertilizer can help to take up residual soil P, to grow plants and to decrease of environmental pollution, and to be also affordable economically.
Soil Biology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology
M. Soliemanzadeh; H. Khademi; M. Sepehri
Volume 37, Issue 2 , March 2015, , Pages 59-72
Abstract
Microorganisms play an important role in providing nutrients for plants and also in soil development. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of two strains of Bacillus cereus on the release of potassium and iron from micaceous minerals. An experiment was set up with a completely randomized ...
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Microorganisms play an important role in providing nutrients for plants and also in soil development. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of two strains of Bacillus cereus on the release of potassium and iron from micaceous minerals. An experiment was set up with a completely randomized design and factorial arrangement with three replications. Treatments included two types of mineral (phlogopite and muscovite), two strains of bacteria (PTCC 1247 and PTCC 1665), control and eight time periods. The results indicated that released potassium and iron were highly dependent on the strain of bacterium and also the mineral type. Strain PTCC 1665 could release a higher amount of potassium as compared to PTCC 1247. The amount of released iron increased at the beginning of the experiment but decreased and then increased as time passed. In general, the amount of released iron from phlogopite was higher than that from muscovite.
