Glyphosate reduced seed and leaf concentrations of calcium, manganese, magnesium, and iron in non-glyphosate resistant soybean

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to study the effects of glyphosate drift on plant growth and concentrations of mineral nutrients in leaves and seeds of non-glyphosate resistant soybean plants (Glycine max, L.). Glyphosate was sprayed on plant shoots at increasing rates between 0.06 and 1.2% of the recommended application rate forweed control. In an experiment with 3-week-old plants, increasing application of glyphosate on shoots significantly reduced chlorophyll concentration of the young leaves and shoots dry weight, particularly the young parts of plants. Concentration of shikimate due to increasing glyphosate rates was nearly 2-fold for older leaves and 16-fold for younger leaves compared to the control plants without glyphosate spray. Among the mineral nutrients analyzed, the leaf concentrations of potassium (K), phosphorus (P), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were not affected, or even increased significantly in case of P and Cu in young leaves by glyphosate, while the concentrations of calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn) and magnesium (Mg) were reduced, particularly in young leaves. In the case of Fe, leaf concentrations showed a tendency to be reduced by glyphosate. In the second experiment harvested at the grain maturation, glyphosate application did not reduce the seed concentrations of nitrogen (N), K, P, Zn and Cu. Even, at the highest application rate of glyphosate, seed concentrations of N, K, Zn and Cuwere increased by glyphosate. By contrast, the seed concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn were significantly reduced by glyphosate. These results suggested that glyphosatemay interfere with uptake and retranslocation of Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn, most probably by binding and thus immobilizing them. The decreases in seed concentration of Fe, Mn, Ca and Mg by glyphosate are very specific, and may affect seed quality

Nutrients status of grass and pasture soils in Kırıkhan-Reyhanlı region of Hatay province and relationships with some soil properties

Çalışmada Hatay ili Kırıkhan Reyhanlı bölgesi çayır-mera topraklarının makro ve mikro besin elementi durumları ve bunların kimi toprak özellikleri ile ilişkilerinin saptanarak, verimlilik durumlarının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç için çayır mera topraklarını temsil edecek şekilde iki farklı derinlikten (0-20 ve 20-40 cm) ve 40 ayrı noktadan olmak üzere toplamda 80 toprak örneği alınmıştır. Alınan topraklarda pH, tuz, bünye, kireç, organik madde, KDK ve Toplam N, yarayışlı P, K, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn ve Zn analizleri yapılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına gore; toprakların % azot içerikleri 0.01-1.34 ile alınabilir fosfor 0.35-8.41 ppm; değişebilir potasyum 35.00-1125.00 ppm; kalsiyum 292.50-1197.50 ppm arasında belirlenirken, alınabilir bakır 0.26-7.48 ppm; demir 4.00-61.00 ppm; mangan 5.00-217.00 ppm; çinko 0.25-13.52 ppm ve belirlenmiştir. Özetle, toprakların büyük bir kısmında fosfor ve alınabilir çinko daha az bir kısmında alınabilir potasyum ve kalsiyum yönünden noksanlık belirlenirken, alınabilir bakır, demir ve mangan içerikleri bakımından ise herhangi bir noksanlığa rastlanmamıştır. Toprakların toplam azot ile tuz içerikleri, alınabilir fosfor ile pH ve kil içerikleri, değişebilir potasyum ile kum içerikleri, alınabilir bakır ve demir ile pH ve kum içerikleri, alınabilir mangan ile pH değerleri ve kalsiyum ile kum içerikleri arasında negatif önemli ilişkiler bulunmuştur. Toprakların toplam azot, değişebilir potasyum ve alınabilir demir ile tuz, silt, organik madde ve KDK değerleri, alınabilir fosfor ile tuz, silt ve organik madde içerikleri, alınabilir bakır ve kalsiyum ile tuz, kil, silt, kireç, organik madde ve KDK değerleri ve alınabilir mangan ile organik madde içerikleri arasında ise pozitif önemli ilişkiler belirlenmiştir.The study was conducted to determine the content of micro and macro nutritional elements and their fertility status by identifying their relevance to some characteristics of soil. For this purpose, from 40 different points and 2 different depths (0-20 and 20-40 cm) referring to total 80 soil samples were taken in a way to represent grass and pasture soils. Analyzes of pH, total salt, textures, lime, organic matter, CEC and Total N, available P, K, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn were done in the soils samples. As a result of the study, it was determined that the percent nitrogen content of the soils was 0.0-1.34 ppm and the available phosphorus was 0.35-8.41 ppm; changeable potassium was 35.00-1125.00 ppm; while calcium was determined to be between 292.50-1197.50 ppm, available copper was 0.26-7.48 ppm, iron was 4.00-61.00 ppm, mangan was 5.00-217.00 ppm, zinc was0.25-13.52 ppm. In summing up, while phosphorus and available zinc were determined to be present in the majority of the soil samples, the minor parts of the soils were determined lacking available potassium and calcium. Copper, iron or mangan was available in all soil samples. It was found that there was a negative relations of total nitrogen content with salt contents, available phosphorus with pH and clay contents, changeable potassium with sand contents, available copper and iron with pH and sand contents, available mangan with pH values and calcium with sand contents. It was determined that there are positive relations of total nitrogen, changeable potassium and available iron with salt, silt, organic matter and KDK values, available phosphosrus with salt, silt and organic matter content, available copper and calcium with salt, clay, silt, lime, organic matter and KDK values and available mangan with organic matter

Effect of cadmium stress on growth and mineral composition of two tobacco cultivars

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous pollutant for humans, animals and plants when the certain threshold concentrations exceeded. Tobacco can accumulate higher concentrations of Cd, and the genotypic differences of tobacco in Cd uptake and the response to Cd have not been clearly determined. The aim of this work was to determine the effects of various cadmium levels (Cd 0, 0.25, 2.5 and 10 mg kg(-1)) on macro and micro nutrient concentrations and biomass production of two tobacco varieties. Tobacco plants were grown under controlled conditions, and required macro (N, P and K) and micro (Fe and Zn) nutrients were applied along with increased doses of Ccl. The concentrations of N. P. K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, B and Cd concentrations in leaves and dry matter yield of two tobacco varieties were determined. The increased doses of Cd significantly affected (P < 0.05) the dry matter yield and many nutrient concentrations evaluated. The changes in plant nutrient concentrations of tobacco leaves induced by Cd exposure were diverse. Concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn and B decreased in the tobacco leaves in line with Cd exposure, concentrations of Cd and Cu increased, but N, P and S were not significantly changed. The results revealed that high Cd accumulation is possibly associated with a decline in dry matter weight induced by the disturbance of nutrient uptake. Precautions need to be taken for tobacco grown in Cd contaminated environments preventing Cd uptake of human through smoking cigarette

Biofortification of silage maize with zinc, iron and selenium as affected by nitrogen fertilization

Agronomic biofortification is one of the main strategies for alleviation of micronutrient deficiencies in human populations and promoting sustainable production of food and feed. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of nitrogen (N)fertilization on biofortification of maize crop (Zea mays L.) with zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and selenium (Se) grown on a micronutrient deficient soil under greenhouse conditions. Factorial design experiment was set under greenhouse conditions. The experiment consisted of two levels of each N, Zn, Fe and Se. The levels for N were 125 and 250 mg N kg−1 soil; Zn were 1 and 5 mg Zn kg−1 soil; levels of Fe were 0 and 10 mg Fe kg−1 soil; levels of Se were 0 and 0.02 mg Se kg−1 soil. An additional experiment was also conducted to study the effect of the Zn form applied as a ZnO or ZnSO4 on shoot growth, shoot Zn concentration and total shoot Zn uptake per plant. Shoot Zn concentrations increased by increasing soil Zn application both with ZnSO4 and ZnO treatments, but the shoot Zn concentration and total Zn uptake were much greater with ZnSO4 than the ZnO application. Under given experimental conditions, increasing soil N supply improved shoot N concentration; but had little effect on shoot dry matter production. The concentrations of Zn and Fe in shoots were significantly increased by increasing N application. In case of total uptake of Zn and Fe, the positive effect of N nutrition was more pronounced. Although Se soil treatment had significant effect, N application showed no effect on Se concentration and accumulation in maize shoots. The obtained results show that N fertilization is an effective tool in improving the Zn and Fe status of silage maize and contribute to the better-quality feed

Effect of predicted climate change on growth and yield performance of wheat under varied nitrogen and zinc supply

Background and aimsSustainable crop production is crucial to address global food security and requires a solid input of chemical fertilizers containing macro (e.g. nitrogen: N) and micro (e.g. zinc: Zn) nutrients. However, climatic factors beyond farmers' management capabilities determine the final crop yields, and world's climate has been changing more rapidly than ever due to human activities such as industrialization and deforestation. This study evaluates the interactive effects of predicted climate change and N and Zn supply on performance of bread wheat as a model staple food crop.MethodsBread wheat (T. aestivum cv. Ceyhan-99) was cultivated in soil fertilized with adequate or low N and Zn in pots under ambient climate (ambient CO2 and temperature) or predicted climate (700molmol(-1) CO2 and 3 degrees C temperature rise) conditions in dedicated plant growth chambers. Plants were harvested at full maturity and grain yield, and yield attributes along with Zn and N status of grains were determined.ResultsPredicted climate (PC) treatment significantly accelerated plant growth rate resulting in early onset of successive growth stages and maturity. In both PC and ambient climate (AC) conditions, adequate supply of N and Zn significantly increased straw and grain yield by increasing number of spikes per plant and number of grains per spike, whereas PC significantly reduced straw and grain yield through reducing number of spikes per plant, particularly in plants supplied with adequate N. Effect of adequate Zn or PC treatments were significant only under adequate N supply. Adequate N not only increased grain protein concentration but also grain Zn, particularly under adequate Zn application. In general, PC tended to increase grain Zn concentration, but the effect was non-significant. PC had no effect on grain protein concentration, whereas it significantly reduced grain protein yield (i.e. total mass of protein in whole grains of a single plant).ConclusionThe future climate with elevated CO2 and raised temperature can dramatically reduce duration of time to complete successive growth stages in wheat. Plants cultured under PC conditions had significantly lower straw and grain yield, although supplied with ample fertilization. Whereas the PC and adequate Zn treatments enhanced main spike gain yield and number of grains per spike, PC declined overall grain yield, particularly due to severe reduction in number of spikes per plant. We conclude that sustaining a higher number of spikes per plant along with adequate nutrition with N and Zn are key factors to benefit from an elevated CO2 atmosphere and to minimize adverse effects of rising temperatures on wheat yield and quality

Reduced root mycorrhizal colonization as affected by phosphorus fertilization is responsible for high cadmium accumulation in wheat

Aims Phosphorus (P) fertilizers are often considered an important source of cadmium (Cd) in crop plants. However, increased plant Cd concentrations are not strictly related to the Cd content of P fertilizers. Considering this, we hypothesized that, alternatively, reduction of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization by P fertilization enhances Cd accumulation in plants. Methods Wheat and canola as mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal species, respectively, were grown under greenhouse conditions with and without soil sterilization. Phosphorus fertilizers with 0.09, 5, and 28 mg Cd kg(-1) were applied at different rates with varied zinc (Zn) fertilization. Results In wheat, all three P fertilizers markedly increased shoot and grain Cd concentrations as P supply was increased, irrespective of the Cd concentration in the fertilizers. These increases were pronounced with soil sterilization or at low zinc supply. Adding mycorrhizal fungi to sterilized soil substantially decreased shoot Cd concentrations. We found a strong negative relationship in wheat between mycorrhizal colonization and shoot Cd concentration, for both high- and low-Cd fertilizers. In contrast to wheat, shoot Cd concentrations in canola showed virtually no response to P supply or soil sterilization. High Zn application also reduced plant Cd concentrations, especially at high P rates. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate the critical importance of mycorrhizal colonization in reducing Cd accumulation in wheat, and suggest that factors suppressing root mycorrhizal activity including P fertilization, will increase Cd uptake in mycorrhizal plants

Grain concentrations of protein and mineral nutrients in a large collection of spelt wheat grown under different environments

A large number of spelt wheat genotypes (ranging from 373 to 772) were evaluated for grain concentrations of protein and mineral nutrients under 6 different environments. There was a substantial genotypic variation for the concentration of mineral nutrients in grain and also for the total amount of nutrients per grain (e.g., content). Zinc (Zn) showed the largest genotypic variation both in concentration (ranging from 19 to 145 mg kg(-1)) and content (ranging from 0.4 to 4.1 mu g per grain). The environment effect was the most important source of variation for grain protein concentration (GPC) and for many mineral nutrients, explaining between 37 and 69% of the total sums of squares. Genotype by environment (G x E) interaction accounted for between 17 and 58% of the total variation across the minerals. GPC and sulfur correlated very significantly with iron (Fe) and Zn. Various spelt genotypes have been identified containing very high grain concentrations of Zn (up to 70 mg kg(-1)), Fe (up to 60 mg kg(-1)) and protein (up to 30%) and showing high stability across various environments. The results indicated that spelt is a highly promising source of genetic diversity for grain protein and mineral nutrients, particularly for Zn and Fe

QTL mapping for grain zinc and iron concentrations and zinc efficiency in a tetraploid and hexaploid wheat mapping populations

Background and aims Zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) deficiencies are the most important forms of malnutrition globally, and caused mainly by low dietary intake. Wheat, a major staple food crop, is inherently low in these micronutrients. Identifying new QTLs for high grain Zn (GZn) and Fe (GFe) will contribute to improved micronutrient density in wheat grain. Methods Using two recently developed RIL mapping populations derived from a wild progenitor of a tetraploid population “Saricanak98 × MM5/4” and an hexaploid population “Adana99 × 70,711”, multi-locational field experiments were conducted over 2 years to identify genomic regions associated with high grain Zn (GZn) and grain Fe (GFe) concentrations. Additionally, a greenhouse experiment was conducted by growing the “Saricanak98 × MM5/4” population in a Zn-deficient calcareous soil to determine the markers involved in Zn efficiency (ZnEff) of the genotypes (expressed as the ratio of shoot dry weight under Zn deficiency to Zn fertilization) and its relation to GZn. The populations were genotyped by using DArT markers. Results Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for high GFe and GZn concentrations in wheat grains were mapped in the both RIL mapping populations. Two major QTLs for increasing GZn were stably detected on chromosomes 1B and 6B of the tetra- and hexaploid mapping populations, and a GZn QTL on chromosome 2B co-located with grain GFe, suggesting simultaneous improvement of GFe and GZn is possible. In the greenhouse experiment, the RILs exhibited substantial genotypic variation for Zn efficiency ratio, ranging from 31 % to 90 %. Two QTL for Zn efficiency were identified on chromosomes 6A and 6B. There was no association between Zn efficiency and grain Zn concentration among the genotypes. The results clearly show that Zn efficiency and Zn accumulation in grain are governed by different genetic mechanisms. Conclusion Identification of some consistent genomic regions such as 1B and 6B across two different mapping populations suggest these genomic regions might be the useful regions for further marker development and use in biofortification breeding programs

Iodine biofortification of wheat, rice and maize through fertilizer strategy

Aim Iodine (I) deficiency is distinct from other micronutrient deficiencies in human populations in having a high endemic prevalence both in well-developed and in developing countries. The very low concentration of iodine in agricultural soils and cereal-based foods is widely believed to be the main reason of iodine deficiency in humans, especially in developing countries. In the present study, the possibility of using iodine containing fertilizers for agronomic biofortification of cereal grains with iodine was studied. The aim was to establish the best application method (to the soil or as foliar spray), the best form of iodine (potassium iodate or potassium iodide) and the optimal dose of iodine. Additionally, experiments were conducted to study transport of iodine in plants and localization of iodine within the grains. Materials and methods Experiments were conducted both under greenhouse conditions and in the field on wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in Turkey and Pakistan, on rice (Oryza sativa) grown in Brazil, Thailand and Turkey and on maize (Zea mays) grown in Turkey. The iodine concentration in the grain, localization of iodine in different grain fractions of wheat (i.e., endosperm, bran and embryo) and iodine concentration of both brown rice and polished rice was analyzed. In short-term experiments, the translocation of iodine from older into younger leaves was also studied. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used for analysis of iodine in plant and soil samples. Results In greenhouse experiments on wheat, soil-applied potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate (KIO3) at increasing rates (i.e., 0, 0.1, 0.25, 1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg I kg−1 soil) both iodine forms substantially increased iodine concentration in the shoot, with the highest shoot iodine resulting from the KI treatments. However, these soil treatments did not affect iodine concentrations in the wheat grain, with the exception of the highest iodine rates (i. e., 10 and 20 mg I kg−1 soil) which also depressed the grain yield. In contrast to the soil applications, foliar spray of KI and KIO3 at increasing rates during heading and early milk stages did enhance grain iodine concentrations up to 5- to 10-fold without affecting grain yield. Including KNO3 or a surfactant to the iodine containing foliar spray further increased the grain iodine concentration. In a short-term experiment using young wheat plants, it was found that iodine is translocated from older into younger leaves after immersion of the older leaves in solutions containing KI or KIO3. Adding KNO3 or a surfactant in the immersion solution also promoted leaf absorption and translocation of iodine into younger leaves. Field experiments conducted in different countries confirmed that foliar application with increasing rates of iodine significantly increased grain iodine concentrations in wheat, brown rice and maize. This increase was also found in the iodine concentration of the endosperm part of wheat grains and in polished rice. Conclusions The results of the present study clearly show that foliar application of iodine containing fertilizers is highly effective in increasing grain iodine concentrations in wheat, rice and maize. Presented results suggest that iodine is translocated from shoot to grain by transport in the phloem. Spraying KIO3 up to the rate of 0.05% w/v is suggested as the optimal form and rate to be used in agronomic biofortification with iodine. The substantial increase in grain iodine concentrations could contribute to the prevention of iodine deficiency in human populations with low dietary iodine intake. The reasons behind the higher effectiveness of foliar-applications compared to the soil applications of iodine fertilizers in improving grain iodine concentration are discussed