Land use affects the soil C sequestration in alpine environment, NE Italy

Soil carbon sequestration is strongly affected by soil properties, climate, and anthropogenic activities. Assessing these drivers is key to understanding the effect of land use on soil organic matter stabilization. We evaluated land use and soil depth influencing patterns of soil organic matter stabilization in three types of soil profiles located under the same pedogenetic matrix and alpine conditions but with different vegetation cover. The stock in soil organic carbon in the mean 0–20 cm layer increased from prairie (31.9 t ha−1) to prairie in natural reforestation (42 t ha−1) to forest (120 t ha−1), corresponding to increments of 1.3-fold prairie, for prairie in natural reforestation, and of 3.8-fold prairie for forest. The forest showed the highest humic carbon (21.7 g kg−1), which was 2.8 times greater than the prairie in natural reforestation and 4 times higher than the prairie. 13C-NMR spectroscopic measurements suggested a different C pattern. The prairie in natural reforestation and the prairie were characterized by a higher content in O,N-alkyl C with respect to the forest. Alkyl C and aromatic C in the prairie in natural reforestation and prairie did not show relevant differences while they decreased with respect to the forest. Carboxyl and phenolic C groups were markedly higher in forest and prairie than prairie in natural reforestation. Alkyl C, carboxyl C, and phenolic C prevailed in the Ah horizons whereas aromatic C and O,N-alkyl C were dominant in the B horizons. Overall, the marked distribution of O,N-alkyl C and alkyl C in humic substances (HS) indicates a low degree of humification. Nevertheless, in forest, the relatively high presence of aromatic C designated HS endowed with a relatively high humification degree. Thus, our results might suggest that in the alpine environment of NE Italy differences in soil organic matter (SOM) stocks and characteristics are affected by land use and anthropic activities

The Relevance of Plant-Derived Se Compounds to Human Health in the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic Era

Dietary selenium (Se)-compounds accumulated in plants are essential for human metabolism and normal physiological processes. Inorganic and organic Se species can be readily absorbed by the human body, but are metabolized differently and thus exhibit distinct mechanisms of action. They can act as antioxidants or serve as a source of Se for the synthesis of selenoproteins. Selenocysteine, in particular, is incorporated at the catalytic center of these proteins through a specific insertion mechanism and, due to its electronic features, enhances their catalytic activity against biological oxidants. Selenite and other Se-organic compounds may also act as direct antioxidants in cells due to their strong nucleophilic properties. In addition, Se-amino acids are more easily subjected to oxidation than the corresponding thiols/thioethers and can bind redox-active metal ions. Adequate Se intake aids in preventing several metabolic disorders and affords protection against viral infections. At present, an epidemic caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) threatens human health across several countries and impacts the global economy. Therefore, Se-supplementation could be a complementary treatment to vaccines and pharmacological drugs to reduce the viral load, mutation frequency, and enhance the immune system of populations with low Se intake in the diet

Spectroscopic-chemical fingerprint and biostimulant activity of a protein-based product in solid form

A solid biostimulant (AA309) obtained through thermobaric hydrolysis applied on trimmings and shavings of bovine hides tanned with wet-blue technology was chemically characterized, and its effects in maize (Zea mays L.) were evaluated. AA309 contained 13.60% total nitrogen (N), mainly in organic forms (13.40%), and several amino acids, especially lysine, phenylalanine, glycine, aspartate, and isoleucine. AA309 was further analyzed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, which revealed the presence of amide I and amide II bands, indicative of peptide structures. When supplied to maize plants for 15 days at two N dosages (2.1 or 4.2 mg/kg), AA309 induced positive physiological responses, likely because of its content in amino acids functioning as signaling molecules. The low dosage was the most effective in improving leaf (+24%) and root (+98%) dry weight, photosynthetic activity (+70%), and accumulation of N (+80%), proteins (+65\u201375%) and antioxidants (+60%). Spectroscopic analyses (Solid-state Cross-Polarization Magic Angle Spinning Carbon-13 Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, CP/MAS13C\u2013NMR, and High resolution-magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, HR-MAS NMR) on plant tissues revealed the increase in proteins, lignin structures and cutin in AA309-treated plants compared to untreated plants. Our results indicate that AA309 could be used as a valuable biostimulant in agriculture

Land use affects the soil C sequestration in alpine environment, NE Italy

Soil carbon sequestration is strongly affected by soil properties, climate, and anthropogenic activities. Assessing these drivers is key to understanding the effect of land use on soil organic matter stabilization. We evaluated land use and soil depth influencing patterns of soil organic matter stabilization in three types of soil profiles located under the same pedogenetic matrix and alpine conditions but with different vegetation cover. The stock in soil organic carbon in the mean 0\u201320 cm layer increased from prairie (31.9 t ha1) to prairie in natural reforestation (42 t ha1) to forest (120 t ha1), corresponding to increments of 1.3-fold prairie, for prairie in natural reforestation, and of 3.8-fold prairie for forest. The forest showed the highest humic carbon (21.7 g kg1), which was 2.8 times greater than the prairie in natural reforestation and 4 times higher than the prairie. 13C-NMR spectroscopic measurements suggested a different C pattern. The prairie in natural reforestation and the prairie were characterized by a higher content in O,N-alkyl C with respect to the forest. Alkyl C and aromatic C in the prairie in natural reforestation and prairie did not show relevant differences while they decreased with respect to the forest. Carboxyl and phenolic C groups were markedly higher in forest and prairie than prairie in natural reforestation. Alkyl C, carboxyl C, and phenolic C prevailed in the Ah horizons whereas aromatic C and O,N-alkyl C were dominant in the B horizons. Overall, the marked distribution of O,N-alkyl C and alkyl C in humic substances (HS) indicates a low degree of humification. Nevertheless, in forest, the relatively high presence of aromatic C designated HS endowed with a relatively high humification degree. Thus, our results might suggest that in the alpine environment of NE Italy differences in soil organic matter (SOM) stocks and characteristics are affected by land use and anthropic activities

Effects of moderate and high rates of biochar and compost on grapevine growth in a greenhouse experiment

Biochar is used as soil amendment and enhancer of plant growth, but the mechanisms involved in grapevine are not understood. In this study, the short-term effects of amendments were evaluated in a trial combining three substrates (biochar, compost, peat-based media) with three doses(30, 70, 100%) along a time sequence on 1-year-old bare root cuttings of grapevine. Amendments were analyzed for elemental composition. Soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), chlorophyll (CHL), flavonoids (FL), anthocyans (ANT) and nitrogen balance index (NBI) were measured.Biochar differed from other amendments for stable C structures, where nutrients and lignin residues were high in compost. Biochar increased soil pH, whereas biochar plus compost mixture augmented EC. The amended plants had detrimental effects on root, true and lateral leaves. Nevertheless, at the lowest rate biochar increased the primary shoot and total scion to root biomass ratio. Among biochemicals, ANT and NBI were mostly affected by biochar, while compost gave only slight increments. Thus, although biochar rate was not adequate for the shedding in open field our results suggest that biochar might be useful in nursery when used at low dosages

Evaluation of seaweed extracts from laminaria and ascophyllum nodosum spp. As biostimulants in zea mays L. using a combination of chemical, biochemical and morphological approaches

Seaweed extracts can be employed as biostimulants during crop cultivation owing to their positive effects on plant performance. Therefore, in this study one extract from Laminaria (A) and five extracts from Ascophyllum nodosum (B–F) were assayed on maize (Zea mays L.) plants supplied for 2 days with 0.5 mL L−1 of single products to evaluate their capacity to stimulate root growth and morphology, nutrition, and sugars accumulation. Firstly, extracts were chemically characterized via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and FT-Raman spectroscopies, and their content in carbon, nitrogen, phenolic acids and hormones (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA, and Isopentenyladenosine, IPA) was quantified. The auxin like- and gibberellic acid -like activities of all extracts were also determined. FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra provided complementary information depicting distinct spectral pattern for each extract. Bands assigned to alginic and uronic acids were dominant in FT-IR spectra, while those corresponding to polyaromatic rings were evident in FT-Raman spectra. In general, extracts stimulated root growth, nutrition, esterase activity, and sugar content. However, they showed high variation in chemical features, which may explain their different capacity in triggering physiological responses in maize. Among A. nodosum extracts for instance, E was the most efficient in promoting root morphology traits, likely because of its elevate content in IAA (32.43 nM), while F extract was the highest in phenol content (1,933 mg L−1) and the most successful in improving plant nutrition. On the other hand, C extract was very effective in stimulating root elongation, but did not influence plant nutrition. B and D extracts induced similar positive effects on plants, although they greatly varied in chemical composition. Laminaria extract (A) differed from A. nodosum extracts, because of its low content in total phenols and the presence of both IAA- and GA-like activity. We conclude that all seaweed extracts acted as biostimulants in maize, but their chemical properties appeared crucial in predicting the physiological response preferentially elicited by individual seaweed extracts

Evaluation of Seaweed Extracts from Laminaria and Ascophyllum nodosum spp. as Biostimulants in Zea mays L. Using a Combination of Chemical, Biochemical and Morphological Approaches

Seaweed extracts can be employed as biostimulants during crop cultivation owing to their positive effects on plant performance. Therefore, in this study one extract from Laminaria (A) and five extracts from Ascophyllum nodosum (B\u2013F) were assayed on maize (Zea mays L.) plants supplied for 2 days with 0.5mL L 121 of single products to evaluate their capacity to stimulate root growth and morphology, nutrition, and sugars accumulation. Firstly, extracts were chemically characterized via Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and FT-Raman spectroscopies, and their content in carbon, nitrogen, phenolic acids and hormones (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA, and Isopentenyladenosine, IPA) was quantified. The auxin like- and gibberellic acid -like activities of all extracts were also determined. FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra provided complementary information depicting distinct spectral pattern for each extract. Bands assigned to alginic and uronic acids were dominant in FT-IR spectra, while those corresponding to polyaromatic rings were evident in FT-Raman spectra. In general, extracts stimulated root growth, nutrition, esterase activity, and sugar content. However, they showed high variation in chemical features, which may explain their different capacity in triggering physiological responses in maize. Among A. nodosum extracts for instance, E was the most efficient in promoting root morphology traits, likely because of its elevate content in IAA (32.43 nM), while F extract was the highest in phenol content (1,933mg L 121) and the most successful in improving plant nutrition. On the other hand, C extract was very effective in stimulating root elongation, but did not influence plant nutrition. B and D extracts induced similar positive effects on plants, although they greatly varied in chemical composition. Laminaria extract (A) differed from A. nodosum extracts, because of its low content in total phenols and the presence of both IAA- and GA-like activity. We conclude that all seaweed extracts acted as biostimulants in maize, but their chemical properties appeared crucial in predicting the physiological response preferentially elicited by individual seaweed extracts

The use of organic biostimulants in hot pepper plants to help low input sustainable agriculture

Background World demand for agricultural products is increasing. New insights are required in order to achieve sufficient and sustainable yields to meet global food request. Chemical fertilizers have been studied for almost 200 years, and it is unlikely that they could be improved. However, to produce food for a growing world population, various methods to increase the efficiency of chemical fertilizers are investigated. One approach to increasing crop productivity is the development of environment-friendly organic products named biostimulants which stimulate plant growth by enhancing the efficiency of chemical fertilizers. Most studies have tested these products in short-term experiments, but little information is available on their effect on plants at the maturity stage of growth. On this account, this paper focuses on the effects of two biostimulants, red grape skin extract (RG) and alfalfa hydrolyzate (AH), throughout the entire plant development