Plant, Soil and Environment - In Press
Catalytic pyrolysis of chicken bone waste with potassium tartrate: availability of macro- and micronutrientsOriginal Paper
Altyn Taisheva, Marie Szklenarova, Madhusha Mihirani Subasinghe, Jiřina Száková, Pavel Tlustoš, Filip Mercl
Biochar derived from bone waste is a promising phosphorus fertiliser. However, limited nutrient availability restricts its agricultural application; therefore, different amendments have been investigated to modify nutrient release from biochar. This study evaluated the effects of pyrolysis temperature and the addition of potassium tartrate (KTar) as an in-situ catalyst on the availability of selected macro- and micronutrients in chicken bone waste-derived biochar. Chicken bone waste (CBW) was mixed with KTar at a 10:1 mass ratio and pyrolysed at 400–800 °C for 30 min. The KTar modification strongly affected nutrient retention and extractability. In particular, KTar enhanced sulfur retention at temperatures above 400 °C, resulting in total sulfur contents 55–97% higher than those in unmodified bone chars, and promoted almost complete water extractability of sulfur at 400 °C. Phosphorus availability was also increased by KTar. The extractable-to-total phosphorus ratios were 6 times higher at 400 °C and 1.7–2.5 times higher at higher temperatures compared with unmodified chars. In addition, KTar altered micronutrient behaviour as it increased the availability of iron and copper, likely through the formation of soluble salts, promoted zinc volatilisation at 800 °C and enhanced the extractability of the remaining zinc fraction. Overall, KTar modification improved the agronomic potential of bone-derived biochars by increasing the water-extractable fractions of essential nutrients. These findings suggest that KTar-assisted pyrolysis is a promising strategy for producing nutrient-enriched biochars for agricultural applications.
Effects of Foliar Application of Different Concentrations of Lysine-Chelated Selenium on Physiological Characteristics of WheatOriginal Paper
Jingwen Hou, Gaogao Dai, Xue Luo, Kaiwei Li, Feiyan Yu, Lianhe Zhang
Understanding how chelated selenium (Se) regulates plant stress tolerance is critical for optimizing field applications. We investigated dose-dependent effects of foliar-applied lysine-chelated selenite (0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 g/ha) on antioxidant capacity and Se distribution in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under field conditions. The results indicated that lysine-chelated selenite enhanced leaf antioxidant capacity. The optimal application dose (30 g/ha) most effectively suppressed O₂⁻ and H₂O₂ accumulation by 47.8% and 47.2%, respectively, and reduced MDA concentration by 74.0%. This effect was attributed to enhanced activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), as well as increased concentrations of GSH and ascorbate. Simultaneously, this treatment inhibited the degradation of photosynthetic pigments and increased the concentrations of soluble sugar, soluble protein, and free amino acids, while reducing proline levels. With increasing application dose, Se concentrations increased most markedly in roots, followed by leaves, stems, glumes, and grains, in the order: roots > leaves > stems > glumes > grains. Our findings demonstrate that lysine-chelated selenite at 30 g/ha was most effective in enhancing antioxidant capacity. This study provides a mechanistic basis for the precision application of chelated Se to simultaneously enhance stress resilience and Se biofortification efficiency.