Use of a colloidal solution of metal and metal oxide-containing nanoparticles as fertilizer for increasing soybean productivity

Since the availability of micronutrients in agricultural soil are strongly depended on changes in soil characteristics, microfertilizers are one of the most effective means of influencing crop productivity and product quality. The use of nanoparticles of metals compensates for the loss of microelements, increases the stress tolerance of plants, both of which improve the quality of the final product. The aim of the research was to study the characteristics of a colloidal solution of metal nanoparticles (Mn, Cu, Zn, Ag, Fe) using X-ray diffraction to estimate the prospects of using them in agrotechnology. The objectives of the study included optimizing the method for treating plants and determining effective concentrations of metal nanoparticles and their composition, combined with traditional fertilizers (NPK), for enhancing soybean productivity. The objects of the study were varieties of soybean recommended for the forest-steppe ecoregion of Ukraine: ultra-early and early maturing Annushka and Ustya, respectively. The results obtained indicate the feasibility of using of a colloidal solution of metal nanoparticles as fertilizer due to its properties (phase composition, size) in agricultural technologies for soybean, which improves the productivity of this crop

Variable dynamics of cadmium uptake and allocation in four soybean cultivars

Cadmium is a serious environmental pollutant and its uptake by plant represents a serious health risk. Uptake, accumulation as well as sensitivity of soybean plants to metals have been shown to vary with genotype, while the dynamics of this uptake has rarely been studied. Here we studied the uptake and accumulation of Cd2+ ions in different parts of soybean plants of four cultivars Moravians, Gallec, Kent and Cardiff. The plants at early developmental stage were immersed in Hoagland nutrient solution in the presence or absence of 50 mg.L−1 and the isotope of 109Cd2+ to monitor its accumulation continuously at 24 h intervals for 10 days. Our results showed that the uptake rate varied among the cultivars, being the highest in roots of the cv. Moravians and the lowest in the cv. Gallec. We also observed a non-even distribution of radioactivity within the entire plants of individual cultivars. The most of Cd2+ isotope was translocated into primary leaves and leaves in the cvs. Kent and Moravians; on the contrary, relatively less in the cvs. Cardiff and Gallec. The results were fitted with genetic potential, growth as well as defense parameters such as proline accumulation. Combining uptake dynamics and biochemical data are indicative for different tolerance strategies of soybeans

Imaging of photoassimilates transport in plant tissues by positron emission tomography

The current findings show that positron emission tomography (PET), primarily developed for medical diagnostic imaging, can be applied in plant studies to analyze the transport and allocation of wide range of compounds labelled with positronemitting radioisotopes. This work is focused on PET analysis of the uptake and transport of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro[18F]-D-glucose (2-[18F]FDG), as a model of photoassimilates, in tissues of giant reed (Arundo donax L. var. versicolor) as a potential energy crop. The absorption of 2-[18F]FDG and its subsequent transport in plant tissues were evaluated in both acropetal and basipetal direction as well. Visualization and quantification of the uptake and transport of 2-[18F]FDG in plants immersed with the root system into a 2-[18F]FDG solution revealed a significant accumulation of 18F radioactivity in the roots. The transport rate in plants was increased in the order of plant exposure through: stem > mechanically damaged root system > intact root system. PET analysis in basipetal direction, when the plant was immersed into the 2-[18F]FDG solution with the cut area of the leaf of whole plant, showed minimal translocation of 2-[18F]FDG into the other plant parts. The PET results were verified by measuring the accumulated radioactivity of 18F by direct gamma-spectrometry

Impact of climate change on biodiversity loss of entomofauna in agricultural landscapes of Ukraine

Analysis of long-term data on the state of populations of entomofauna in agricultural landscapes is of practical importance for determining the feasibility of chemical protection of agroecosystems. Through the example of species of a harmful entomological complex of winter wheat in different natural and climatic zones of Ukraine, the dynamics of the population size of insects under global warming and the indicator of the living planet index (LPI) have been studied. Indicators of long-term insect’s population size were used as input data based on the results of state phytosanitary monitoring. According to the analysed data on the state of indicator populations during 2009-2017, the indicators of the population size and weighted LPI were constantly decreasing. The correlation between the size of an insect’s population and the course of natural warming does not make it possible to unambiguously explain the state of populations by the effect of an increased amount of heat