Impact of plastic pollution on soil biological activity in white truffle habitats in the large river plains in Serbia

The impact of plastic pollution on forest soil biota is an emerging research area. There are knowledge gaps on a forest microbiome composition and activity as effected by wild waste deposition in forest ecosystems located on white truffle (Tuber magnatum Pico) habitat areas. Particles of plastic materials decompose into micro-plastic particles and are responsible for many changes in the soil physicochemical characteristics, including porosity, enzymatic activities, microbial activities, plant growth. One of the first investigations of plastic and microplastic (MP) in the soil on the territory of Serbia is currently underway and is being carried out within the project "Evaluation of the Microplastic in the Soils of Serbia - EMIPLAST - SoS". The research sites are located on the alluvial plains of the largest rivers in Serbia, which are the habitats of the white truffle. Forest sites visibly polluted and non-polluted by plastic materials were sampled and analysed for soil main chemical, physical and biological properties. Potentially mineralizable soil organic carbon was measured in a long-term incubation of soil samples with sequential measurement of the emitted CO2 flax by alkali trap method. Preliminary results showed that some soil properties such as pH, electrical conductivity, total C and N, CEC and mechanical composition are significantly affected by the presence of plastic materials. Generally, polluted sites showed elevated microbial respiration and the rates of C mineralization. For the Danube and Morava River basin the differences were significant, while for the Sava river basin the difference wasn’t significant. In order to establish the level of the negative impact of microplastics on soil properties and microbial activity in the longer term, the study is ongoing

Impact of plastic pollution on the quality of arable soils in the Sava and Danube river valleys (Serbia)

Plastic pollution is fast becoming a serious global environmental problem with the increase in plastic waste over recent decades. Plastic pollutants in the soil environment have an impact on the cycling of organic matter, global СО2 production, crop production, and soil properties. Crop production in plastic greenhouses is one of the serious sources of plastic pollution in the environment all over the world and particularly in Serbia. One of the first investigations of plastic and microplastic materials in the soil on the territory of Serbia is currently underway and is being carried out within the project „Evaluation of the Microplastic in the Soils of Serbia – EMIPLAST – SoS“ funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. The aim of the research was to reveal the impact of the presence of plastic materials on soil’s main chemical, physical and biological properties. Soil sampling was carried out in 2022 from two depths (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm), side by side from the plastic greenhouse and non-greenhouse agricultural production as a control in the first project year. The research sites are located on the alluvial plains of the two largest rivers in Serbia, the Danube and the Sava. The following chemical parameters were determined on all samples: electrical conductivity, pH, CEC, total C, as well as nutritional status of the soil (N, P2O5, K2O, Cu, Zn, Mn and CaCO3). Concentrations of some microelements were also analyzed. Physical parameters determined were: particle size distribution, volumetric mass, specific mass and porosity. Microbial respiration, which serves as an indicator of enzymatic microbial activity in the soil, was measured by the alkaline trap method from surface soil

ASSESSMENT OF PLASTIC POLLUTION OF THE SOIL ENVIRONMENT

Plastic pollution is fast becoming a serious global environmental problem with the increase in plastic waste over recent decades. One of the first investigations of plastic and microplastic (MP) in the soil on the territory of Serbia is currently underway and is being carried out within the project "Evaluation of the microplastic in the Soils of Serbia – EMIPLAST – SoS" funded by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia. The aim of the research is to reveal the impact of the presence of plastic materials on soil’s main chemical, physical and biological properties. The examination of the impact of MP on the soil is being carried out through a comparative analysis of samples from localities that are and are not exposed to MP pollution. Sampling was done in three seasonal repetitions in the 2022 and will be done in the same way in 2023 in all selected plots. Microbial respiration is measured from all samples using the alkaline trap method as an indicator of microbial activity. The parameters related to the soil structure are not variable in such a short time frame, which is why they were determined at the beginning and will be determined at the end of the experimental period: mechanical composition, volumetric mass, specific mass, porosity, aggregate stability and organic matter content. Soil parameters that may affect aggregate stability such as pH, electrical conductivity and total carbon content, as well as soil nutritional status (N, P2O5, K2O, Cu, Zn, Mn and CaCO3) were determined. These parameters are used to characterize the soil at the research sites. Preliminary results showed that some soil properties are significantly affected by the presence of plastic materials. In order to establish the level of the negative impact of microplastics on soil properties and microbial activity in the longer term, the study is ongoing

Ecological and Economic Effects of Applying the Future Agricultural Production Structure Model (FAPSMS): The Case Study of the Barička River Basin Sustainability

It is necessary to harmonize the needs of society in terms of agricultural production and land protection from various forms of degradation throughout sustainable land management. Assessing the justification of investment in sustainable management of land resources is an important step in this process. Consequently, an analysis of soil erosion risk was carried out in the suburban area of the morphological unit of the Barička river watershed, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method, with the existing and projected structure of agricultural production according to the Future Agricultural Production Structure Model from the Aspect of Preserving Land Resources for Mountain Catchment Areas of Serbia (FAPSMS). The value of the existing and projected production structure from an economic aspect was also examined using dynamic economic methods. In order to assess the risk and uncertainty of investments, a sensitive analysis of dynamic methods was carried out. The results show that soil erosion losses are already below tolerance values with the existing production structure and that they could be reduced even more by applying the designed structure. Economic indicators show that the investment is justified and that it is more sensitive to changes in income

Ecological and economic effects of applying the Future Agricultural Production Structure Model (FAPSMS): The case of Barička river basin

It is necessary to harmonize the needs of society in terms of agricultural production and land protection from various forms of degradation. Assessing the justifi cation of investment in sustainable management of land resources is an important step in that process. Consequently, in the suburban area of the morphological unit of the Barička river basin, an analysis of soil erosion risk was carried out using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method, with the existing and projected structure of agricultural production according to the Future Agricultural Production Structure Model from the Aspect of Preserving Land Resources for Mountain Catchment Areas of Serbia (FAPSMS). The value of the existing and projected production structure from the economic aspect was also examined, using dynamic economic methods. In order to assess the risk and uncertainty of investments, a sensitive analysis of dynamic methods was carried out. The results of the research showed that soil erosion losses are already below tolerance values with the existing production structure and that they could be reduced even more by applying the designed structure. Economic indicators have shown that the investment is justified and that it is more sensitive to changes in income

Influence of seed inoculation by nitrogenfixing bacteria and varieties on morphological properties and soybean productivity (Glicine max L.)

Preporučena agrotehnička mera koje se izvodi neposredno pred setvu soje (Glicine max L.) je inokulacija semena azotofiksirajućim bakterijama. Izvođenje eksperimenta imalo je za cilj ispitivanje uticaja faktora inokulacije i faktora genotipa na morfološke osobine, prinos i sadržaj primarnih metabolita zrna. Ispitivane su tri domaće sorte soje (Apolo, Gorštak i Trijumf), na parceli na kojoj je u plodoredu gajena soja, na zemljištu tipa černozem, na oglednom polju Instituta “Tamiš” - Pančevo. Proučavane su sledeće morfloške osobine i parametri prinosa: visina biljke, broj bočnih grana, broj spratova, visina biljke do prve mahune, broj mahuna po biljci, masa mahuna sa zrnom po biljci, masa zrna po biljci i prinos zrna po hektaru. Sadržaj ulja, azota i proteina, određen je standardnim analitičkim metodama. Inokulacija semena statistički je značajno uticala na visinu biljke do prve mahune, dok na ostale morfološke osobine i parametre prinosa inokulacija nije imala statistički značajan uticaj. Na sadržaj ulja, azota i proteina inokulacija nije delovala statistički značajno. Za većinu ispitivanih parametara, bio je značajan efekat genotipa. Prosečan prinos biljaka inokulisanog semena (1250 kg ha-1) i neinokulisanog semena (1230 kg ha-1) bio je daleko manji u odnosu na višegodišnji prosek, zbog značajno nižih količina atmosferskih padavina u odnosu na višegodišnji prosek i visokih prosečnih temperatura vazduha tokom vegetacionog perioda.Recommended agrotechnical measure that is performed immediately before sowing of soybean is the inoculation of grain with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. The purpose of the experiment was to examine the influence of inoculation and variety on morphological characteristics, yield and content of primary grain metabolites. Three domestic soybean cultivars (Apollo, Gorštak and Trijumf) were examined on the plot on which soybeans were previously grown, on chernozem-type land, at the experimental field of the Tamiš Pancevo Institute. The following morphological characteristics and yield parameters were studied: plant height, number of side branches, number of nodes, plant height to the first pod, number of pods per plant, the mass of pods per grain per plant, grain weight per plant and grain yield per hectare. The content of oil, nitrogen and protein was determined by standard analytical methods. Inoculation had a statistically significant effect on the morphological trait of plant height up to the first pod, while inoculation had no statistically significant impact on other morphological traits and yield parameters. Inoculation did not have a statistically significant effect on oil, nitrogen and protein content. For most of the examined parameters, the effect of genotype was observed. The average yield of plants of inoculated seed (1250 kg ha-1) and non-inoculated seed (1230 kg ha-1) was far lower than the multi-year average, due to significantly lower precipitation compared to the multi-year average and high average air temperatures during the growing season

Development, physiology and anatomy of soybean root nodles

Izuzetan ekološki i privredni značaj soje je što kao biljka azotofiksator ima sposobnost prevođenja atmosferskog azota u amonijačni oblik dostupan biljkama. Proces se odvija na korenu soje u nodulama koje nastaju u simbiozi biljke i bakterija iz roda Bradhyrhizobium japonicum. Kontakt između biljke i bakterija počinje izlučivanjem u zemljište raznih vrsta polifenola (izoflavona), signalnih jedinjenja koja privlače bakterije. Nakon difuzije izoflavona kroz bakterijsku membranu dolazi do pokretanja Nod faktora bakterije, tj. lipohitooligosaharida pomoću kojih bakterija vrši infekciju korenske dlake. Nakon infekcije započinje obrazovanje azotofiksirajuće nodule u kojoj su svi metabolitički procesi pod potpunom kontrolom biljke. Biološku fiksaciju u noduli vrši enzim nitogenaza u anaerobnim uslovima. Biljka i bakterija zajedno stvaraju jedinjenje leghemoglobin koje vezuje kisonik i omogućava stvaranje anaerobnih uslova koji pogoduju enzimu nitrogenazi vršenje procesa azotofiksacije. Takođe, leghemoglobin aktivnoj noduli daje crvenu boju na poprečnom preseku. Anatomska građa aktivne nodule predstavljena je strukturno sa tri različite zone. Najveću zonu čini centralni deo, tj. tkivo inficirano bakterijama (rizobijum polje), a na njega se naslanja unutrašnja kora (korteks) i spoljašnja kora (eksterni korteks). Prve nodule počinju da vrše azotofiksaciju u fazi razvoja soje „dve troliske“(V2) ili „tri roliske“(V3), da bi najveći broj aktivnih nodula bio u fenofazi „početak formiranja semena“ (R5). Prosečna aktivnost nodula traje 30-40 dana. O ovim procesima postoji dosta naučnih saznanja, međutim i dalje postoji dosta prostora za rasvetljavanje odnosa biljka soje i bakterija Bradhyrhizobium japonicum, a sve u funkciji dobrobiti koje oni donose poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji.The exceptional ecological and economic importance of soybeans is that, as a nitrogen-fixing plant, it has the ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen into an ammonia form available to plants. The process takes place on soybean roots in nodules that are formed in the symbiosis of the plant and bacteria from the genus Bradhyrhizobium japonicum. The contact between the plant and the bacteria begins with the excretion into the soil of various types of polyphenols (isoflavones), signal compounds that attract the bacteria. After the diffusion of isoflavones through the bacterial membrane, the Nod factor of the bacteria is activated, i.e. of lipochitooligosaccharides with which the bacterium infects the root hair. After infection, the formation of a nitrogen-fixing nodule begins, in which all metabolic processes are under the complete control of the plant. Biological fixation in the nodule is carried out by the enzyme nitrogenase under anaerobic conditions. Together, the plant and the bacteria create the compound leghemoglobin, which binds oxygen and enables the creation of anaerobic conditions that favor the nitrogenase enzyme for the nitrogen fixation process. Also, leghemoglobin gives the active nodule a red color on cross-section. The anatomical structure of the active nodule is represented structurally by three different zones. The largest zone is the central part, i.e. tissue infected with bacteria (rhizobium field), and the inner bark (cortex) and the outer bark (external cortex) rest on it. The first nodules begin to carry out nitrogen fixation in the stage of soybean development “two trefoils” (V2) or “three trefoils” (V3), so that the largest number of active nodules would be in the phenophase “the beginning of seed formation” (R5). Average nodule activity lasts 30 to 40 days. There is a lot of scientific knowledge about these processes, but there is still a lot of room for improvement elucidating the relationship between the soybean plant and bacteria Bradhyrhizobium japonicum, all in function of the benefits they bring to agricultural production

Economic effects of applying future agricultural production structure model (fapsms)

It is necessary to harmonize the needs of society in terms of agricultural production and land protection from various forms of degradation throughout sustainable land management. Various models of sustainable soil management are being applied with an aime to prevent the erosion destruction of the soil through adequate processing methods, with appropriate yields and positive economic effects of such production. Assessing the justification of investment in sustainable management of land resources is an important step in this process. Analysis of soil erosion risk was carried out in the suburban area of the morphological unit of the Barička river watershed, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method, with the existing and projected structure of agricultural production according to the Future Agricultural Production Structure Model from the Aspect of Preserving Land Resources for Mountain Catchment Areas of Serbia (FAPSMS). The value of the existing and projected production structure from an economic aspect was also examined using dynamic economic methods such as Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Repayment of the In-vested Funds (RIF), Cost-Benefit Ratio (CBR) and Net Present Value (NPV). In order to assess the risk and uncertainty of investments, a sensitive analysis of dynamic methods IRR and RIF was carried out. Economic indicators show that the investment is justified and that it is more sensitive to changes in income.[https://sediment.ru/posts/basenet2023/

Future Agricultural Production Structure Model (Fapsms) Impact On Soil Erosion

Various models of sustainable soil management are being applied in the world. They are aimed to prevent the erosion destruction of the soil through adequate processing methods, with appropriate yields and positive economic effects of such production. Conservation of soil on sloped terrains is of great importance, especially having in mind that mountain soils are home to 25% of all terrestrial biodiversity, including agrobiodiversity. Sustainable agricultural management needs to account for site specific characteristics, including topographic factors and coexisting biotopes. In Serbia the trend of people leaving rural households and moving to cities became increased during the second half of the twentieth century that led to a change in soil use so that the areas under meadows, orchards and vineyards were increased at the expense of areas under arable soils and pastures so the intensity of erosion processes have decreased. However, soil erosion is still very widespread in Serbia. More than 86% of Serbia's surface is affected by erosion of different intensity. According to Gavrilović’s erosion potential method, soil erosion endangerment of research area of Barička river basin is in the category of medium erosion endangerment. The aim of this study is to determine existing soil erosion risk and risk after application of Future Agricultural Production Structure Model from the Aspect of Preserving Land Resources for Mountain Catchment Areas of Serbia (FAPSMS), in the suburban area of the morphological unit of the Barička river watershed, in Serbia. An analysis of soil erosion risk was carried out, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method, with the existing and projected structure of agricultural production according to the FAPSMS. The results show that soil erosion losses are already below tolerance values with the existing production structure and that they could be reduced even more by applying the projected structure.[https://sediment.ru/posts/basenet2023/