Plant, Soil and Environment, 2008 (vol. 54), issue 3
Salt stress and phyto-biochemical responses of plants - a review
A. Parvaiz, S. Satyawati
Plant Soil Environ., 2008, 54(3):89-99 | DOI: 10.17221/2774-PSE 
The ability of plants to tolerate salts is determined by multiple biochemical pathways that facilitate retention and/or acquisition of water, protect chloroplast functions and maintain ion homeostasis. Essential pathways include those that lead to synthesis of osmotically active metabolites, specific proteins and certain free radical enzymes to control ion and water flux and support scavenging of oxygen radicals. No well-defined indicators are available to facilitate the improvement in salinity tolerance of agricultural crops through breeding. If the crop shows distinctive indicators of salt tolerance at the whole plant, tissue or cellular level, selection...
Crop influence on mobile sulphur content and arylsulphatase activity in the plant rhizosphere
B. Kotková, J. Balík, J. Černý, M. Kulhánek, M. Bazalová
Plant Soil Environ., 2008, 54(3):100-107 | DOI: 10.17221/2776-PSE
The changes of mobile sulphur (S) contents were investigated in the plant rhizosphere using precise model experiments with rhizoboxes. The tested plants were winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), winter rape (Brassica napus L.) and white lupine (Lupinus albus L.). In this experiment, a Cambisol from a precise field experiment treated with sewage sludge or manure was used. Total extractable S concentration and mineral S (S-SO2-4) concentration in the water extract were higher in the plant rhizosphere (< 6 mm from the root) compared to the so-called bulk soil (> 6 mm). The contents of total extractable...
Competitive relationships between sugar beet and weeds in dependence on time of weed control
M. Jursík, J. Holec, J. Soukup, V. Venclová
Plant Soil Environ., 2008, 54(3):108-116 | DOI: 10.17221/2687-PSE
Small plot trials were carried out in years 2001-2003 with sugar beet. In the treatment without weed control, dry weight of sugar beet top and LAI of sugar beet were very low (approx. 50 g/m2 and 0.5 m2/m2, respectively). Yield loss of sugar beet was 80-93%. Dominant weeds were Chenopodium album, Fumaria officinalis and Galium aparine. In the treatments where weeds were removed (by hand) until 4 leaf stage of sugar beet, dry weight of sugar beet top and LAI of sugar beet at first increased normally, but were markedly decreased from the half of the vegetation period. Yield loss of sugar beet was 54-28%....
Effects of copper on growth, antioxidant enzymes and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activities in Jatropha curcas L. seedling
S. Gao, R. Yan, M. Cao, W. Yang, S. Wang, F. Chen
Plant Soil Environ., 2008, 54(3):117-122 | DOI: 10.17221/2688-PSE
The effects of different concentrations of copper (0-800 μmol) on growth, protein contents, peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) in Jatropha curcas L. seedlings were assessed by means of pot experiments. Results suggested that increased copper concentrations lead to decreased shoot elongation and seedling biomass. Protein content in the leaves and roots reached their highest levels at the copper concentrations of 400 μmol, while the highest protein content in the stem was observed at 800 μmol copper. POD activity in leaves and stems was unaffected at low copper concentrations,...
Plant growth, metabolism and adaptation in relation to stress conditions: Further studies supporting nullification of harmful effects of salinity in lettuce plants by urea treatment
M.N.A. Hasaneen, M.E. Younis, D.M.A. El-Bialy
Plant Soil Environ., 2008, 54(3):123-131 | DOI: 10.17221/2775-PSE
Foliar application of urea to lettuce plants induced pronounced changes in the total amount and in the relative composition of the nitrogen pool. As compared with untreated lettuce plants, urease (UR), nitrate reductase (NR), asparaginase (AS) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities were, in general, increased with an increase in the concentration of urea. On the other hand, salinization of lettuce plants with NaCl induced a significant decrease in the activities of UR, NR, AS and GS, at vegetative and adult growth stages. In general, treatment of lettuce plants with increasing concentrations of urea fertilizer in combination with each of the levels...