Chromium-reducing and plant growth-promoting Mesorhizobium improves chickpea growth in chromium-amended soil

Mesorhizobium strain RC3, isolated from chickpea nodules, tolerated chromium up to 500 μg/ml and reduced it by 90% at pH 7 after 120 h. It produced plant growth-promoting substances, both in the presence and absence of chromium. Strain RC3 produced 35 μg indole acetic acid/ml in Luria Bertani broth with 100 mg tryptophan/ml, which decreased with an increase in chromium concentration. Chromium application to soil at 136 mg/kg was toxic to chickpea plants but when RC3 at 136 mg/kg was also added, it increased the dry matter accumulation, number of nodules, seed yield and grain protein by 71, 86, 36 and 16%, respectively, compared to non-inoculated plants. Nitrogen in roots and shoots were increased by 46 and 40%, respectively, at 136 mg Cr/kg. The bio-inoculant decreased the uptake of chromium by 14, 34 and 29% in roots, shoots and grains, respectively.     

On the assessment of root and soil respiration for soils of different textures: interactions with soil moisture contents and soil CO2 concentrations

Estimates of root and soil respiration are becoming increasingly important in agricultural and ecological research, but there is little understanding how soil texture and water content may affect these estimates. We examined the effects of soil texture on (i) estimated rates of root and soil respiration and (ii) soil CO₂ concentrations, during cycles of soil wetting and drying in the citrus rootstock, Volkamer lemon (Citrus volkameriana Tan. and Pasq.). Plants were grown in soil columns filled with three different soil mixtures varying in their sand, silt and clay content. Root and soil respiration rates, soil water content, plant water uptake and soil CO₂ concentrations were measured and dynamic relationships among these variables were developed for each soil texture treatment. We found that although the different soil textures differed in their plant-soil water relations characteristics, plant growth was only slightly affected. Root and soil respiration rates were similar under most soil moisture conditions for soils varying widely in percentages of sand, silt and clay. Only following irrigation did CO₂ efflux from the soil surface vary among soils. That is, efflux of CO₂ from the soil surface was much more restricted after watering (therefore rendering any respiration measurements inaccurate) in finer textured soils than in sandy soils because of reduced porosity in the finer textured soils. Accordingly, CO₂ reached and maintained the highest concentrations in finer textured soils (> 40 mmol CO₂ mol⁻¹). This study revealed that changes in soil moisture can affect interpretations of root and soil measurements based on CO₂ efflux, particularly in fine textured soils. The implications of the present findings for field soil CO₂ flux measurements are discussed. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Selective plant growth suppression by shoot application of soil bacteria

Selected rhizosphere bacterial isolates, previously determined as plant growth deleterious, were tested for their ability to suppress plant growth after foliar spray applications, for selectivity with regard to plant species, and in pilot field experiments for their potential as weed biocontrol agents. Inundative foliar applications of aqueous bacterial suspension were performed on a range of weed and crop species. Plant symptoms after spraying ranged from rapid necrosis and wilting to an overall growth suppression or stunting. Significant and selective reductions in biomass of up to 90% fresh weight, as well as large reductions in plant survival and plant height were recorded in greenhouse pot experiments. However, monocotyledonous plants were affected weakly or not at all by two isolates extensively tested. Effects of these were dose- and plant age-dependent, and were for some plants enhanced by high relative humidity. For one isolate, A153, effects were also expressed in cell-free culture filtrates pointing to involvement of specific metabolites. In pilot field experiments, strong growth suppression was observed on broad-leaved plants, while barley crop plants were unaffected.     

Yield of micropropagated sugarcane varieties in different soil types following inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria

It is well described that the beneficial interactions between plants and bacteria are genotype and site specific. Brazilian sugarcane varieties can obtain up to 70% of their nitrogen requirement from biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), and this contribution is related to the Brazilian breeding and selection processes, by example of the variety SP70-1143. In this study the effect of two inoculation mixtures containing diazotrophic bacteria in our earlier pot experiment was evaluated with two sugarcane varieties, a known responder, SP70-1143, and a newly selected variety, SP81-3250, to investigate the sugarcane genotype effect and the role of the mixtures. The sugarcane varieties SP70-1143 and SP81-3250 were grown under commercial field conditions at three sites with contrasting soil types: an Alfisol, an Oxisol and an Ultisol that means a low, medium and high natural fertility respectively. The stem yield and BNF contribution in response to bacterial inoculation were influenced by the strain combinations in the inoculum, the plant genotype, and the soil type and nitrogen fertilization, confirming the genetic and environmental influence in PGP-bacteria interactions. Inoculation effects on the BNF contribution and stem yield increased in the variety SP70-1143 grown in the Alfisol without nitrogen fertilization for three consecutive crops, and it was equivalent to the annual nitrogen fertilization. The plants grown in the Oxisol showed small increases in the productivity of the variety SP70-1143, and in the Ultisol the sugarcane plants presented even decreases in the stem productivity due to inoculation with diazotrophic bacteria mixtures. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the inoculation technology using diazotrophic bacteria in micropropagated sugarcane varieties grown in soils with low to medium levels of fertility. In addition, the results also indicated that specific plant – bacteria – environment combinations are needed to harness the full benefits of BNF. Section Editor: C. P. Vance     

Investigations into the exploitation of heterogeneous soils by Lupinus albus L. and L. pilosus Murr. and the effect upon plant growth

In calcareous soils, genotypes of Lupinus albus L. generally grow poorly, resulting in stunted plants that often develop lime-induced chlorosis. In contrast, some genotypes of L. pilosus Murr. occur naturally in calcareous soils without developing any visible symptoms of stress. Some genotypic variation for tolerance to calcareous soil does exist in L. albus and the tolerance mechanisms need to be determined. The adaptation through root system morphological plasticity of L. albus and L. pilosus, to heterogeneous limed soil profiles (pH 7.8) containing either patches of acid (non-limed) soil, or vertically split between acid and limed soil, was investigated. When grown in the presence of patches of acid soil, L. albus had a 52% greater shoot dry weight and visibly greener leaves compared with plants grown in the homogeneous limed soil. Total root dry matter in the acid-soil patches was greater than in the control limed-soil patches. This was due to a four-fold increase in the cluster root mass, accounting for 95% of the root dry matter in the acid-soil patch. Although these cluster roots secreted no more citric acid per unit mass than those in the limed soil did, their greater mass resulted in a higher citrate concentration in the surrounding soil. L. pilosus responded to the patches of acid soil in a manner comparable with L. albus. When grown in the homogeneous limed soil, L. pilosus had a greater maximum net CO₂ assimilation rate (P_max) than L. albus, however, the P_max of both species increased after they had accessed a patch of acid soil. Differences were apparent between the L. albus genotypes grown in soil profiles split vertically into limed and acid soil. A genotype by soil interaction occurred in the partitioning between soils of the cluster roots. The genotype La 674 was comparable with L. pilosus and produced over 11% of its cluster roots in the limed soil, whereas the other genotypes produced only 1–3% of their cluster roots in the limed soil. These results indicate L. pilosus is better adapted to the limed soil than L. albus, but that both species respond to a heterogeneous soil by producing mainly cluster roots in an acid-soil patch. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of plant growth and addition of plant residues on the phosphatase activity in soil

Summary The phosphatase activity of the soil amended with roots and tops of clover (Trifolium repens) plant material (0.1% by weight) remained essentially constant in the absence of growing plants but changed considerably in the presence of plants (Avena sativa) grown for 10 weeks. There was a significant relationship between the phosphatase activity and organic and inorganic P in the soil solution only in the presence of growing plants. The differences in phosphatase activity between roots and tops amended soil were attributed to total C as well as differences in the degree of availability of C added through plant materials. This may also apply to the carpet grass (Axonopus affinis) amended soil.     

Effect of soil liming and vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizal inoculation on the growth and micronutrient content of the teff plant

In a greenhouse experiment involving an acid soil teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] plants failed to grow unless the soil was limed or inoculated with either of two vesicular-arbuscular-mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi,Glomus mosseae orGlomus macrocarpum. Plant growth increased by liming and to a lesser extent by VAM fungal inoculation. Liming also enhanced root colonization by VAM fungi. Shoot micronutrient content generally increased as a result of inoculation, and decreased by increased lime applications.     

Contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis to plant growth under different types of soil stress

The development of symbioses between soil fungi, arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM), and most terrestrial plants can be very beneficial to both partners and hence to the ecosystem. Among such beneficial effects, the alleviation of soil stresses by AM is of especial significance. It has been found that AM fungi can alleviate the unfavourable effects on plant growth of stresses such as heavy metals, soil compaction, salinity and drought. In this article, such mechanisms are reviewed, in the hope that this may result in more efficient use of AM under different stress conditions.     

水分条件和冻融循环对科尔沁沙地不同土地利用方式土壤呼吸的影响

在东北半干旱地区的科尔沁沙地,秋冬与冬春季节由温度变化引起的土壤冻融对CO2排放具有显著影响,研究水分和冻融的交互作用对土壤呼吸的影响具有重要意义.以科尔沁沙地樟子松疏林草地、农田和草地为研究对象,通过冻融模拟实验分析水分和冻融循环对不同土地利用方式土壤呼吸的影响.结果表明,水分条件、土地利用方式和冻融循环均对土壤呼吸影响显著.冻融前草地土壤呼吸显著大于疏林草地和农田,冻融期疏林草地土壤呼吸显著大于农田,而冻融后草地土壤呼吸速率显著大于疏林草地.80％田间持水量时3种土地利用方式的土壤呼吸速率显著大于60％田间持水量时土壤呼吸速率;在培养期内(20 d),60％田间持水量时疏林草地、农田和草地的土壤CO2释放量分别为21.535、19.908和25.037 g CO2·m-2,80％田间持水量时分别为26.407、29.447和36.246g CO2·m-2.     

Cytokinin producing bacteria enhance plant growth in drying soil

Cytokinins can promote stomatal opening, stimulate shoot growth and decrease root growth. When soil is drying, natural cytokinin concentrations decrease in association with stomatal closure and a redirection of growth away from the shoots to the roots. We asked if decreased cytokinin concentrations mediate these adaptive responses by lessening water loss and promoting root growth thereby favouring exploration for soil water. Our approach was to follow the consequences for 12-d-old lettuce seedlings of inoculating the growing medium with cytokinin-producing bacteria under conditions of water sufficiency and deficit. Inoculation increased shoot cytokinins as assessed by immunoassay and mass spectrometry. Inoculation also promoted the accumulation of shoot mass and shortened roots while having a smaller effect on root mass. Inoculation did not raise stomatal conductance. The possible promoting effect of these cytokinins on stomatal conductance was seemingly hampered by increases in shoot ABA that inoculation also induced. Inoculation lowered root/shoot ratios by stimulating shoot growth. The effect was greater in non-droughted plants but remained sufficiently strong for shoot mass of inoculated droughted plants to exceed that of well-watered non-inoculated plants. We conclude that compensating for the loss of natural cytokinins in droughted plants interferes with the suppression of shoot growth and the enhancement of root elongation normally seen in droughted plants.     

The effects of soil warming on plant recruitment

We demonstrate, using a simple field experiment, that soil warming is sufficient, independent of other cues, to potentially alter the recruitment of Betula pendula seedlings. This study suggests that changing temperature, and correlated changes in edaphic factors, can alter patterns in plant recruitment via differential effects on seed dormancy. Increased soil temperatures (of less than 5 °C) throughout the year led to a significant increase in the number of birch seedlings that emerged from soil samples collected in the spring. No concomitant changes in the emergence of other species was observed. Such temperature induced changes in seedbank dynamics and their subsequent effects on the competitive interactions within a plant community suggest far reaching ecological consequences of current increases in global temperature.     

Effect of cyclic wetting and drying of a soil on root hair growth of maize roots

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cyclic soil wetting and drying on maize (Zea mays L.) root hair growth. Three soils, Chalmers silty clay loam (Typic Haplaquolls), Raub silt loam (Aquic Argiudolls) and Aubbeenaubbee sandy loam (Aric Ochraqualfs) and two soil moisture contents, −175 (M₀) and −7.5 kPa (M₁), were used to study root hair growth in a controlled-climate chamber. Increasing soil moisture after 7d from M₀ and M₁ resulted in a cessation of root hair growth behind the root cap while drying the soil after 7d from M₁ and M₀ promoted root hair growth on new but not old or existing roots. By maintaining liquid continuity under cyclic wetting and drying of a soil, root hairs may be of far greater significance to the nutrition of the plant than originally thought. Journal Paper No. 11023, Purdue Univ. Agric. Exp. Stn., W. Lafayette, IN 47907. Contribution from the Dep. of Agron.     

Conifer growth on residual organic soils: A greenhouse study

The effects of the addition of compost, prepared from vegetable market refuse and stomach contents of slaughtered cattle, were studied in a sandy soil contained, in pots and kept in a greenhouse environment. Comparison was made between: i) a treatment involving pots containing compost mixed with 5% soil, ii) four treatments in which increasing quantities of compost homogeneously taken from the same lot (0, 10000, 20000, 30000 kg ha⁻¹) were integrated with NPK mineral fertilizer to equalize available nutrients; iii) an untreated control. At 3, 4, and 5 years from the date of treatment, after various other crops, sunflower was planted. The yield obtained, though it fell off from year to year, was approximately double in the case of 95% compost. The other four treatments also resulted in production increases compared with the untreated control. Production was found to rise progressively with increasing quantities of compost. The improvement in soil chemistry and microbiology, as shown by analyses performed 5 years after treatment with compost, suggests that the rise in crop production may be attributed to an overall improvement in all components involved in the fertility of the soil used, in our experimental conditions.     

The impact of heating on the hydraulic properties of soils sampled under different plant cover

The impact of heating on the peristence of water repellency, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water retention characteristics was examined on soils from both forest and meadow sites in southwest Slovakia shortly after a wet spell. The top 5 cm of meadow soils had an initial water drop penetration time WDPT at 20°C of 457 s, whereas WDPT in the pine forest was 315 s for the top 5 cm and 982 s if only the top 1 cm was measured. Heating soils at selected temperatures of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300°C caused a marked drop in water drop penetration time WDPT from the initial value at 20°C. However, samples collected in different years and following an imposed cycle of wetting and drying showed much different trends, with WDPT sometimes initially increasing with temperature, followed by a drop after 200–300°C. The impact of heating temperature on the saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil was small. It was found for both the drying and wetting branches of soil water retention curves that an increase in soil water repellency resulted in a drop in soil water content at the same matric potential. The persistence of soil water repellency was strongly influenced by both the sampling site and time of sampling, as it was characterized by the results of WDPT tests.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant symbiosis in a saline-sodic soil

The seasonality of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi–plant symbiosis in Lotus glaber Mill. and Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) O.K. and the association with phosphorus (P) plant nutrition were studied in a saline-sodic soil at the four seasons during a year. Plant roots of both species were densely colonized by AM fungi (90 and 73%, respectively in L. glaber and S. secundatum) at high values of soil pH (9.2) and exchangeable sodium percentage (65%). The percentage of colonized root length differed between species and showed seasonality. The morphology of root colonization had a similar pattern in both species. The arbuscular colonization fraction increased at the beginning of the growing season and was positively associated with increased P concentration in both shoot and root tissue. The vesicular colonization fraction was high in summer when plants suffer from stress imposed by high temperatures and drought periods, and negatively associated with P in plant tissue. Spore and hyphal densities in soil were not associated with AM root colonization and did not show seasonality. Our results suggest that AM fungi can survive and colonize L. glaber and S. secundatum roots adapted to extreme saline-sodic soil condition. The symbiosis responds to seasonality and P uptake by the host altering the morphology of root colonization.     

Effects of genotype and plant growth regulator on callus induction and plant regeneration in four important turegrass genera: A comparative study

Summary Turfgrass, like other major crop species, is recalcitrant to manipulation in vitro. To perform efficient genetic transformation of turfgrass, it is necessary to optimize tissue culture conditions. In most reports, plant tissue culture techniques have been applied to propagate a single cultivar or several cultivars in one species of turfgrass. In this experiment, four turfgrass genera were used, namely common bermudagrass, Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers. (California origin); red fescue, Festuca rubra L. var. rubra ‘Shadow’; perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L. ‘Barbal’; and Kentucky bluegrass, Poa pratensis L. ‘Merion.’ Mature seeds were surface-sterilized and cultured on basal Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 30–250 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) for callus induction. Regeneration media consisted of MS supplemented with 5–10 μM 6-benzyladenine (BA). Among the genera, Poa had the higest callus induction percentage (CIP) regardless of 2,4-D concentration, followed by Cynodon, Lolium, and Festuca, respectively. Cynodon and Lolium had the highest callus regeneration percentage (CRP) and overall regeneration rate (ORR). Festuca had a poor CIP, CRP, and ORR compared to other studied genera. Cynodon produced the highest shoot number per explant. Based on the results of the present study, MS medium supplemented with 60 μM 2,4-D (for callus induction) and 7.5 μM BA (for regeneration) can be used in multi-generic transformation studies with the genera used.     

Growth of three species ofBidens under different levels of soil moisture content

By the assumption that both soil moisture and soil air affect plant growth as linear factor, the relationship between mean plant dry weight and soil moisture content was newly formulated. Its applicability to actual growth data was tested by growing three species ofBidens under different levels of soil moisture content. The growth data ofBidens well satisfied the new formula. The optimum soil moisture content giving a maximum mean plant dry weight was the largest inB. frondosa and the smallest inB. biternata. This result well agreed with field observations. The growth factor represented by the new formula was referred to as “repulsive factor”, and the difference between the repulsive factor and optimum factor was discussed.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from three genera induce two-phase plant growth responses on a high P-fixing soil

Plant growth enhancing effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are suitably quantified by comparisons of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plant growth responses to added phosphorus (P). The ratio between the amounts of added P required for the same yield of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants is termed the relative effectiveness of the mycorrhiza. Variation in this relative effectiveness was examined for subterranean clover grown on a high P-fixing soil. Plants were either left non-mycorrhizal or inoculated with one of three AM fungal species with well-characterised differences in external hyphal spread. With no P added, plants from all treatments produced <10% of their maximum growth achieved at non-limiting P supply. The growth response of non-mycorrhizal plants was markedly sigmoid. Mycorrhizal growth responses were not sigmoid but their shape was two-phased. The first phase was an asymptotic approach to 25–30% of maximum growth, followed by a second asymptotic rise to maximum growth. Growth effects of Glomus invermaium and Acaulospora laevis were quite similar. Plants in these treatments produced up to four times greater shoot dry biomass than non-mycorrhizal plants. Scutellospora calospora was less effective. The relative effectiveness of AM fungi varied with the level of P application. This is expected to apply to all soils on which a sigmoid response is obtained for growth of non-mycorrhizal plants. In a simple approximation the relative effectiveness was calculated to range from 1.46 to 15.57. Shoot P contents were increased by up to 25 times by A. laevis, significantly more than by the other two fungi. The further mycelial spread of this fungus is thought to have contributed to its relatively greater effect on plant P content.     

Buffering effect of B-chromosome system of Trigonella foenum-graecum against different soil types

Summary Accessory (B–) chromosomes have been reported in many plants in various regions of the world. Studies on natural populations of certain plants like Phleum phleoides revealed that B-chromosomes were present in different frequencies in different habitats indicating a correlation between B-frequency and environmental conditions. The present experiment was performed to determine the response of B-chromosome carrier and non-carrier plants of Trigonella to different soil conditions. When the morphological data was subjected to analysis of variance, it was found that the carrier plants exhibited uniformity of characters in the different soil types, while the non-carrier plants exhibited considerable variability. The conclusion that can be drawn from this experiment is that B-chromosomes act as a buffering agent, neutralising the variability effect of different soil types.     

Moisture retention properties of a mycorrhizal soil

The water relations of arbuscular mycorrhizal plants have been compared often, but virtually nothing is known about the comparative water relations of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal soils. Mycorrhizal symbiosis typically affects soil structure, and soil structure affects water retention properties; therefore, it seems likely that mycorrhizal symbiosis may affect soil water relations. We examined the water retention properties of a Sequatchie fine sandy loam subjected to three treatments: seven months of root growth by (1) nonmycorrhizal Vigna unguiculata given low phosphorus fertilization, (2) nonmycorrhizal Vigna unguiculata given high phosphorus fertilization, (3) Vigna unguiculata colonized by Glomus intraradices and given low phosphorus fertilization. Mycorrhization of soil had a slight but significant effect on the soil moisture characteristic curve. Once soil matric potential (_m) began to decline, changes in _m per unit change in soil water content were smaller in mycorrhizal than in the two nonmycorrhizal soils. Within the range of about –1 to –5 MPa, the mycorrhizal soil had to dry more than the nonmycorrhizal soils to reach the same _m. Soil characteristic curves of nonmycorrhizal soils were similar, whether they contained roots of plants fed high or low phosphorus. The mycorrhizal soil had significantly more water stable aggregates and substantially higher extraradical hyphal densities than the nonmycorrhizal soils. Importantly, we were able to factor out the possibly confounding influence of differential root growth among mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal soils. Mycorrhizal symbiosis affected the soil moisture characteristic and soil structure, even though root mass, root length, root surface area and root volume densities were similar in mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal soils.