Impact of protein hydrolysate biostimulants on growth of barley and wheat and their interaction with symbionts and pathogens

We compared the biostimulant effect of a novel chicken feather hydrolysate (FH) and a reference protein hydrolysate (RH) on barley and wheat in a pot experiment. Their interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphorus (P) supply were also addressed. All experimental factors influenced barley growth. Shoot height and biomass of barley were increased by FH and reduced by RH. AMF decreased barley biomass at high P-supply. In wheat, the biomass was slightly reduced by AMF while other factors had no significant effect. In the parallel field experiment, RH but not FH increased yield and grain size of barley, while there was no significant effect of either hydrolysate on wheat. Application time had no effect on hydrolysate efficacy. Both hydrolysates promoted severity of net blotch (Pyrenophora teres maculata) on barley in the pot experiment, but reduced it in field. FH promoted wheat root colonisation by AMF under low-P supply. Our results show limited transferability of pot results to field conditions and manifest complex interactions between hydrolysates, soil phosphorus, and plant symbionts and pathogens

Utilization of endophytic microorganisms for growth promotion of Miscanthus

Increased survival and aboveground biomass yield of Miscanthus was achieved due to the inoculation of Miscanthus seedlings by a mixed inocula based on the selected endophytic microbes (bacteria and fungi). Inoculated treatments produced 20-90% higher yield of biomass compared to the controls. Importantly, fungal inoculum increased also production of rhizomes and the same trend was observed in the treatment inoculated by the bacterial mixture. Bacterial endophytes also strongly augmented overwintering of the plants on one of the tested model plantations. Because the price of the inocula production is economically feasible and does not substantially increase the plantation establishment costs we hope for fast implementation of the methodology both in CR and beyond

Use of sewage sludge and biomass ash as a fertilizer of short-rotation coppice plantations

Cultivation of short-rotation coppice (SRC) plantations is gaining momentum with the increasing demand for renewable energy worldwide. Even the modest nutrient demands of SRC plantations deplete the soil nutrient pool over time and sustainable long- term production requires application of appropriate fertilizers. The waste products sewage sludge and biomass ash are complex fertilizers rich in nutrients. Yet their application in field is restricted due to an appreciable content of hazardous substances. In this manual we propose guidelines on the use of sewage sludge and biomass ash as a main fertilizer of SRC plantations. Our manual complies with all laws that regulate the use of the waste on agricultural land in the Czech Republic. It specifies application mode and time. Dosages are calculated based on the local soil conditions, the leaf nutrient status and the genotype of the used tree clones. Simple calculations use derived table values and allow the grower to assess the fertilization needs of a particular plantation and the way how to meet them very quickly. The manual has been certified by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic

Assessment of rosehips based on the content of their biologically active compounds

In this study, an in-depth analysis of the unique set of rosehip samples from 71 Rosa genotypes was conducted with the aim to identify the most suitable ones for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries based on the content of biologically active compounds. In the first part of our experiments, the antioxidant activity was determined by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay and the genotypes with the highest values were selected for the follow-up analysis. In the second part of experiments, the major classes of biologically active compounds in rosehips such as carotenoids, tocopherols, flavonoids, and triterpenoic acids were further quantified using liquid chromatography-based techniques. Large variation was observed among all the analyzed compounds with intraspecific variation often hiding interspecific or intersectional differences. The compounds studied herein thus do not provide a sharp tool for chemotaxonomic resolution of the genus Rosa. High intraspecific variation indicates the necessity to screen and utilize individual rose genotypes rather than representatives of the species when searching for sources of biologically active compounds. In the final stage of the study, 10 genotypes were selected for further cultivation and use, based on the highest concentrations of the analyzed biologically active compounds

Development and activity of Glomus intraradices as affected by co-existence with Glomus claroideum in one root system

International audienceThe co-existence of two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) species, Glomus intraradices and Glomus claroideum, in the root systems of plants was investigated in a greenhouse experiment aimed at reconstructing interactions during an early stage of primary succession on a coal-mine spoil bank in Central Europe. Two plant species, Tripleurospermum inodorum and Calamagrostis epigejos, were inoculated either with one or both AMF species. Fungal development, determined by trypan blue and alkaline phosphatase staining as well as by PCR amplification of rRNA genes with species-specific primers, and the expression of five genes with different metabolic functions in the intraradical structures of G. intraradices were followed after 6 and 9 weeks of cultivation. The two AMF closely co-existed in the root systems of both plants possibly through similar colonisation rates and competitivity. Inoculation with the two fungi, however, did not bring any additional benefit to the host plants in comparison with single inoculation; moreover, plant growth depression observed after inoculation with G. claroideum persisted also in mixed inoculation. The expression of all the assayed G. intraradices genes was affected either by host plant or by co-inoculation with G. claroideum. The effects of both factors depended on the time of sampling, which underlines the importance of addressing this topic in time-course studies