Isolation of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and selection of host plant for inoculum production

The objective of this study was to select a suitable host plant for mass production of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Lemongrass and onion were compared for mass multiplication of Glomus species viz; Gl. mossea, Gl. geosporum and Gl. etunicatum. Spore count ranges from 17.67 (Gl. etunicatum) to 26.33 (Gl. mossea) g-1 soil under onion and lemongrass respectively. There was no significant difference (0.05) between Gl. Mossea and Gl. Geosporum in onion. Similarly, no significant difference was observed between Gl. Geosporum and Gl.etunicatum in lemongrass. Gl.mossea recorded the highest spore number followed by Gl.geosporum in both plant species. Root colonization % ranges from 67.33% (Gl.mossea) in onion to 80% (Gl.geosporum) in lemongrass. Colonization % of Gl.mossea and Gl.geosporum were statistically similar under individual plant species. Despite the lowest spore counts recorded by Gl.etunicatum, % root colonization was significantly (0.05) higher compared to Gl.mossea and Gl.geosporum in onion. Lemongrass recorded the highest average mean (77.33%) of root colonization % and spore counts (23.44) compared to onion (68.44%, 19.67). The study showed that AMF-plant interaction was host preference. Lemongrass favored the mass multiplication of Gl. mossea, Gl.geosporum and Gl.etunicatum thus, was the most suitable host plant compared to onion for inoculum productio

Effect of Arbuscularmycorrhizal Fungi and Poultry Manure on Growth and Nutrients Uptake by Maize under Field Condition

Field experiment was conducted to study the effect of arbuscularmycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and poultry manure (PM) on the growth and nutrients uptake by maize. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 6 levels of PM in tones ha-1 (0, 4, 6, 8, 10, & 12) and 2 levels of AMF; (inoculated , +AMF and un-inoculated, -AMF) + recommended dose of NPK (RD NPK) chemical fertilizer; making 13 treatment combinations replicated 3 times. Plant growth (height, leaf area, root volume, shoot, and root dry weight biomass), root colonization (RC %) and uptakes of N, P, & K were assessed after six weeks growing period of maize. Inoculated plants and RD NPK recorded higher values for plant growth biometrics and nutrients uptake compared to un-inoculated plants.Poultry manure application enhanced RC % and AMF spore density with maximum value (43.00±38.70 %, 17.33±1.202 g-1 soil) at 12 t PM ha-1. Applying 12 t PM+AMF produced plants with the highest shoot and root biomass weights (199.00±3.055, 9.57±0.713 g) that were comparable to RD NPK (194.33±2.404, 9.27±0.376 g). Increase in shoot dry biomass due to AMF revealed, 19.3%, 20%, 12.2%, 7.2%, 7.9%, and 15.2% over 0, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12 t PM ha-1 of un-inoculated plants. Applying 12 t PM+AMF recorded higher shoot dry biomass by 2.3% over RD NPK. RC % correlated positively with shoot biomass (R2= 0.753). Maximum N, P, & K uptake were recorded at 12 t PM+AMF compared to all the treatments. It could be concluded that PM have potentially stimulated AMF symbiosis, enhanced maize growth and nutrients uptake under normal field condition compared to chemical fertilizer, thus could be considered for maize production

Effects of short-term application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and poultry manure on improvement of soil quality

A field study was conducted to investigate the short-term effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and poultry manure (PM) application on improvements of some selected soil properties compared to NPK chemical fertilizer cropped to maize. PM was applied in tones (t) ha-1 (0, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12) inoculated with AMF (+AMF) and without AMF (-AMF).Soil samples (0-15 cm) were collected from field according to treatments after maize growth to determine; physical (bulk density, water-stable aggregate [WSA]), chemical (pH, NO3-N, K, organic carbon[OC]& P) and biological properties (dehydrogenase, urease, phosphatase, AMF spore counts and root colonization [RC]). Results revealed significant improvement in soil properties due to application of poultry manure with and without AMF compared to control and chemical fertilizer. Integration of PM and AMF at 12 t PM ha-1 significantly increased soil pH, NO3-N, OC, available P, K, % WSA, dehydrogenase, urease and phosphatase activities with reduced bulk density compared to all the treatments. Residual soil NO3-N, available P & K content at 12 t PM+AMF indicated increment by 11.4% N, 5.8% P, 15.2% K, 25.9% OC, and 21.4% WSA over RD NPK. Spore counts and RC % increased with addition of poultry, the highest recorded at 12 t PM+AMF (17.33±1.202 g -1 soil, 43.00±38.70 %). There was strong positive correlations between RC% and dehydrogenase (R2= 0.854), phosphatases (R2= 0.894), urease (R2= 0.935) activities and WSA (R2= 0.958). Results suggested that application of poultry manure and AMF inoculation could improve soil physical, chemical and biological properties thus could be regarded as a reliable option for maintenance of soil quality and sustainability of crop production

Combine effect of bio-fertilizer and poultry manure on growth, nutrients uptake and microbial population associated with sesame (Sesamumindicum L) inNorth-eastern Nigeria

The combine effect of bio-fertilizer (Azospirillum and arbuscularmycorrhiza fungi, AMF; Glomusmossea)and poultry manure (PM) on nutrients uptake, plant growth and soil microbial population associated with sesame under field condition was studied. The experiment comprised of four treatments; T1 (Azospirillum + AMF), T2 (Azospirillum + AMF + 5 ton ha-1 poultry manure), T3 (10 ton ha-1 poultry manure), and T0 (Control) laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Plant growth parameters viz., plant height, numbers of leaves/plant, numbers of branches/plant, leaf area, shoots and root dry biomass increased significantly due to the application of bio-fertilizer and poultry manure singly or in combination over control. Combined application of bio-fertilizer and poultry manure @ 5 ton ha-1 significantly produced the plants with desirable growth parameters, nutrients content and uptakes for N, P, and K. Root colonization by AM fungi was recorded in inoculated and un-inoculated plants. Colonization % ranges from 6% in control to 62.8% in Bio-organic. There was no significant difference in % root colonization of inoculated plants. Populations of Azospirillum and AM spores have increased in all treatments over the initial population prior to experiment in all treatments. Bio-organic recorded the highest Azospirillum population (28.56 × 10-6 CFU g-1 soil) and 69.3 AM spores g-1 soil and values were significantly higher to all the treatments. The overall findings of this research indicated that Bio-organic(bio-fertilizer and poultry manure @ 5 ton ha-1 ) produced plants with highest growth parameters, nutrients uptake, increased soil Azospirillum population, AM spore density and mycorrhization compared to exclusive application of bio-fertilizer or poultry manure @ 10 ton ha-1 .Combination of bio-fertilizer with organic amendments could be recommended for successful production of sesame

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and poultry manure on growth and nutrients contents of maize in different soil type

Public concerned about food safety and quality have raised interest in manipulating soil nutrients management strategies that could reduce potential threat on environment and sustain food production. Recently, the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)as bio-fertilizer has gained recognition especially, in low-input agriculture. The fungi are known to improve plant nutrition and growth. However, this effect may differ according to soil properties and nutrients concentration. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of AMF and poultry manure (PM) on growth and nutrients contents in maize compared to chemical fertilizer; and to determine the effect of soil properties on colonization potential of AMF. The experiment consists of 13 treatments combinations in 2 soil types (loam and peat), viz; 6 application rates of composted PM in tones (t) ha-1 (0, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12) and 2 levels of AMF; inoculated (+AMF) and un-inoculated (- AMF) plus recommended dose of NPK (RD NPK). Un-inoculated plants showed no symptoms of root colonization and recorded no AMF spore under both soils. Addition of PM stimulated AMF colonization and sporulation, the highest root colonization (RC %) and spore counts were recorded at 8 t PM+AMF under loam and 12 t PM+AMF in peat soils. Shoot dry biomass at 8 and 12 t PM+AMF under loam and peat were comparable to RD NPK. Applying 8 and 12 t PM+AMF in loam and peat recorded the highest N& K comparable to RD NPK. However, P content in shoot were statistically higher at 8,10 & 12 t PM+AMF in loam and at 12 t PM+AMF in peat compared to RD NPK. Application of 10 & 12 t PM+AMF in loam significantly decreased plant growth, lowered AMF RC%, and nutrient content (N & K). There was a strong positive correlation between shoot dry biomass and RC % in loam (R 2 = 0.740 P<0.01) and peat (R 2 =0.884 P<0.01). From the results of this study, it could be concluded that AMF have increased the efficiency use of PM and their integration have the potential to improve plant growth due to enhanced nutrients uptake and stimulated RC% in both soils. Results also indicated significantly higher shoot dry biomass, nutrients content (N, P, & K), spore counts and RC % in loam soil compared to peat, indicating that soil properties has a significant influence on effectiveness AMF

Effect of ArbuscularMycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in combination with poultry manure (PM) on growth and nutrients uptake by maize

The present chemical input-intensive farming system has degraded the soil of its quality and posed some health related problems to humans. Sustainable crop production to some extent depends on the maintenance of soil quality. Applications of organic amendments and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculum have been recommended as a good strategy to fertilize crop and improve soil quality. With the aim of reducing over dependency on chemical fertilizer, this research was conducted to isolate AMF spores and select a suitable host plant for the propagation of dominant isolates from the study area for inoculum production. The study revealed that the dominants spores were Glomus species (Gl. etunicatum, Gl. mosseae, and Gl. geosporum). In addition, Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) was the most suitable host for propagation of the spores compared to Allium cepa. Subsequently, a greenhouse study using sterilized soil (loam and peat) and a field trial were conducted to test the efficacy of the AM fungal inoculum in combination with varying application rates of poultry manure (PM) on the growth and nutrients uptake by maize. Effects on improvement of soil quality were also determined after maize growth. Both experiments consist of six application rates of poultry manure in tones ha-1 (0, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12); 2 levels of AMF; inoculated (+AMF) and un-inoculated (-AMF) and recommended dose of NPK chemical fertilizer (RD NPK). AMF inoculum was a mixture of Gl. mossea, Gl. geosporum and Gl. etunicatum from trap cultures of Cymbopogoncitratus, containing spores, soil with colonized root fragments and hyphae. Results revealed that indigenous AMF inoculum has stimulated maize growth and addition of poultry manure vi has enhanced spore development and percentage of root colonization (RC %). Applying 8 and 12 tones poultry manure per hectare (t PM ha -1) in loam and peat recorded the highest root colonization %, spore density and produced maximum shoot dry biomass, comparable to RD NPK. Maximum shoot concentration for N and K (3.45 % and 2.90 %) and shoot dry biomass (25.33±0.49g) were recorded at 8 t PM ha-1 +AMF in loam with comparable values to RD NPK fertilizer (3.43 % N and 2.87 % K), (25.50±1.23 g). Applying 10 and 12 t PM ha-1+AMF was antagonistic to plant growth, nutrient uptake (N and K), and root colonization % in loam. While, 12 t PM+AMF in peat recorded shoot dry biomass (19.55±0.13 g) with high P (0.38 %) and K (2.84 %) in shoot nutrients concentration comparable to RD NPK (21.00±0.37 g), P (0.35 %) and K (2.81 %). The results also indicated that plant shoot dry biomass, nutrients uptake (N, P, and K) and root colonization percent in loam soil was significantly higher compared to peat, indicating that soil properties has significant influence on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi effectiveness. Applying 12 t PM ha-1+AMF recorded significantly higher N (742.47 kg ha-1), P (97.51 kg ha-1) and K (576.83 kg ha-1) uptake and shoot dry biomass (199.00±3.06 g) than RD NPK in field trial. There was a strong correlation between shoot dry biomass and root colonization % in loam (R2= 0.740 PPM-AMF>RD NPK>Control. Results suggest that application of poultry manure and AMF could enhance maize growth by providing nutrients (N, P, and K) need of maize and improve soil quality, thus could be regarded as a reliable option for sustainable crop production

Proportional Integral Differential (PID) Controller

Piezoelectric ceramics are used in many areas of applications. One of such areas of applications is in controlling electronic devices for accuracy and improved precision. Piezoelectric ceramics however have the problem of inherent high resonance frequency resulting in the piezoelectric ceramic suffering from hysteresis and delay in response to input parameters. PID controllers have been used in providing improved control and response to the piezoelectric ceramic so as to overcome the problem of hysteresis as well as the inherent high resonance frequency and slow response of the piezoelectric ceramic. However, PID controllers have the problem of overshoot as a result of sub-optimal selection of PID tuning parameters. PID controllers also take a long time in adjusting to changes due to error. This paper presents a firefly algorithm based PID controller (F-PID) for minimizing the effect of hysteresis in piezoelectric ceramics and also improving the response of the PID controller

Detection of oprL gene and antibiotic resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from aquaculture environment

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative rod shape bacterium belonging to the family Pseudomonadaceae. The species is highly adaptable opportunistic pathogen, capable of surviving in a variety of environment, including aquaculture environment. Antibiotics are used in the aquaculture environment, and their improper usage poses a risk of potential transfer of resistance from aquaculture bacteria to human and animal pathogens. This study was conducted to isolate P. aeruginosa from fish, prawn and water samples, followed by PCR detection of oprL gene locus. The antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates was also determined. Based on the results from PCR analysis performed, 13 isolates of P. aeruginosawere isolated. All of the isolates tested were resistance to at least one antibiotic. Highest level of resistance was observed against ampicillin and erythromycin while the lowest was observed against gentamicin, norfloxacin and nalidixic acid. This study suggested that the presence of the bacteria in the aquaculture environment may pose the risk of antibiotic resistance to those who are exposed to the aquaculture environment.Based on the results of this study, it can be said that gentamicin, norflaxin and nalidixic acid can be effective agents for the treatment of P. aeruginosa

Prognostic significance of BIRC7/Livin, Bcl-2, p53, Annexin V, PD-L1, DARC, MSH2 and PMS2 in colorectal cancer treated with FOLFOX chemotherapy with or without aspirin.

Evasion of apoptosis is associated with treatment resistance and metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Various cellular processes are associated with evasion of apoptosis. These include overexpression of pro-apoptotic proteins (including p53 and PD-L1), anti-apoptotic proteins (BIRC7/Livin and Bcl-2), chemokine receptors (including DARC), and dysregulation of DNA mismatch repair proteins (including MSH2 and PMS2). The aim of this study was to determine the effect of folinic acid, 5-FU and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) as a single agent and aspirin plus FOLFOX in various combinations on the aforementioned proteins in human CRC, SW480 cell line and rat models of N-Methyl-N-Nitrosourea (NMU)-induced CRC. In addition, effects of the NMU-induced CRC and chemotherapeutic regimens on haematological and biochemical parameters in the rat models were studied. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and immunoblot techniques were used to study the expression pattern of the related proteins in the human CRC cells pre- and post-treatment. Double contrast barium enema, post-mortem examination and histological analyses were used to confirm tumour growth and the effect of the treatment in vivo in rat models. Notably, we found in human mucinous CRC, a significant increase in expression of the BIRC7/Livin post-FOLFOX treatment compared with pre-treatment (p = 0.0001). This increase provides new insights into the prognostic role of BIRC7/Livin in evasion of apoptosis and facilitation of treatment resistance, local recurrence and metastasis particularly among mucinous CRCs post-FOLFOX chemotherapy. These poor prognostic features in the CRC may be further compounded by the significant suppression of DARC, PD-L1, PMS2 and overexpression of MSH2 and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and p53 proteins observed in our study (p < 0.05). Importantly, we found a significant reduction in expression of BIRC7/Livin and reactivation of DARC and PD-L1 with a surge in Annexin V expression in rat models of CRC cells post-treatment with a sequential dose of aspirin plus FOLFOX compared with other treatments in vivo (p <0.05). The mechanistic rational of these effects underscores the importance of expanded concept of possible aspirin combination therapy with FOLFOX sequentially in future CRC management. Validation of our findings through randomized clinical trials of aspirin plus FOLFOX sequentially in patients with CRC is therefore warranted