Plant, Soil and Environment - In Press
Improvement of lucerne germination and seedling performance through a combined seed priming methodOriginal Paper
Ondřej Szabó, Michaela Kovandová, Zuzana Hrevušová, Saniya Tyulendinova, Josef Hakl
Seed priming is an effective seed treatment procedure and shown to improve the emergence of seedlings in various crops. However, there is a lack of systematic research for these techniques in lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), especially for combinations of priming agents. This study aimed to screen 22 biologically active compounds and then to evaluate the potential of combinations of these agents, assessing dynamics of germination, seedling length, and performance, in a pot experiment for selected combinations. About half of the screened agents increased germination rate (in the 3rd day) or seedling length (from 8% to 75%) where chitosan and green tea improved both total germination and seedling formation. The selected combination of priming agents improved only seedling growth compared to hydropriming and control, where combination of fermented weed juice + green tea and of H2O2 + thyme infusion seems to be effective (+61%). In the pot experiment only a combination of mixed priming with the coating method led to improved lucerne root growth (+33% in comparison with untreated control). These results can contribute to the adoption of easily available, cost-effective and sustainable treatments with good potential to accelerate germination and lucerne seedling development.
Correlation of DGT-P and conventional soil P tests with rye shoot biomass and P uptake across temperate soils with differential soil propertiesOriginal Paper
Alireza Golestanifard, Markus Puschenreiter, Robert Manglberger, Marion Gotthard, Herbert Eigner, Bernhard Spangl, Walter W. Wenzel, Jakob Santner
Several P extraction tests are being used as soil P tests, but many studies have shown that correlation of extractable P with plant yield and P uptake is varying and sometimes poor. Infinite sink extraction methods may be superior in estimating plant P availability. Soil P tests were evaluated for their power in determining plant available P pools. Thirty arable soils covering different soil groups were tested for soil characteristics and extractable P pools. Rye was grown for six weeks on these soils and was analysed for shoot yield and shoot P concentrations. Correlations between soil P concentrations, shoot yield and shoot P content were investigated. Extractable P pools mostly showed significant correlations with soil pH, texture and amorphous iron oxide content. High and significant correlations were found among most of the extractable soil P pools, with the remarkable exception of calcium acetate lactate (CAL)-extractable P. In contrast to previous studies, diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT)-extractable P employed in our pot experiment did not perform better than other extraction methods in correlating with plant available P and uptake, likely because water availability was not a limiting factor of P diffusion. Plant-available P in the soils investigated in this study was controlled by both, P quantity (i.e. the amount of adsorbed P) and P intensity (i.e. the soil solution P). We conclude that the advantage of infinite sink extraction methods over equilibrium-based techniques becomes less apparent if P is not strongly intensity-controlled, and if water availability is not a limiting factor of P diffusion.
Effects of PEG-simulated Drought Stress and Selenite Treatment on Mineral Nutrient Homeostasis in Wheat Roots and ShootsOriginal Paper
lianhe zhang, Feiyan Yu, Ying Wang, Xue Luo, Kaiwei Li, Jingwen Hou, Gaogao Dai, Huimin Yuan
Drought stress severely impairs seed germination and early seedling establishment, and disrupts the uptake and distribution of essential mineral nutrients in plants. This study investigated the effects of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-simulated drought and Na₂SeO₃ application on the accumulation and redistribution of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) in wheat roots and shoots. Under PEG-simulated drought, increasing PEG concentrations resulted a progressive decline in nutrient concentrations in both roots and shoots, with significant reductions in K, Ca, S, Zn, and Mn in roots, and K, Ca, Mg, and Mn in shoots. However, Na₂SeO₃ application mitigated these adverse effects by enhancing nutrient redistribution during early seedling growth. Specifically, under 15% PEG-simulated drought stress, Na₂SeO₃ treatments significantly increased shoot K, Mg, Fe, and Cu concentrations, highlighting selenium's role in facilitating the translocation of these key elements. These results demonstrate that Na₂SeO₃ effectively mitigates drought-related nutrient imbalances and promotes ion remobilization from germinating seeds to developing roots and shoots under water-deficient conditions.
Physiological and Biochemical Bases of AMF-Mediated Antimony Stress Tolerance in Linum usitatissimum: Enhancing Growth, Phytochemical Production, and Oxidative Damage ResilienceOriginal Paper
Ahlem Zrig, Shereen M. Korany, Hana Sonbol, Emad A. Alsherif, Foued Hammouda, Danyah A. Aldailami, Marwa Yousry A. Mohamed, Mohamed Sheteiwy, Maria Gabriela Maridueña- Zavala, Salma Yousif Sidahmed Elsheikh
Antimony (Sb) pollution from industrial activities poses a severe global threat, particularly impacting valuable medicinal crops like linseed, which is highly sensitive to heavy metals. This study reveals the remarkable potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) as a sustainable solution to this challenge. Our research demonstrates that while Sb stress significantly impairs linseed growth, photosynthesis, and triggers oxidative damage, AMF symbiosis profoundly mitigates these effects. AMF improved photosynthetic performance, water status, and notably enhanced the biosynthesis of crucial phytochemicals like phenolics, flavonoids, and citric acid. These compounds are vital for both plant defense and human health. Furthermore, AMF promoted the accumulation of essential detoxifying agents, leading to a better redox balance and significantly reducing Sb uptake and translocation by 47%. This dual action not only bolsters the plant's tolerance to Sb but also enhances its medicinal value by boosting health-promoting bioactive metabolites. These promising findings underscore AMF's dual role: a powerful tool for phytoremediation and a natural enhancer of phytochemical quality. AMF offers a sustainable, nature-based strategy to ensure the safe cultivation of medicinal plants on contaminated soils, highlighting the critical importance of soil-plant-microbe interactions in environmental stress mitigation.