Plant, Soil and Environment, 2010 (vol. 56), issue 5
Nitric oxide emission from barley seedlings and detached leaves and roots treated with nitrate and nitrite
J. Chen, Q. Xiao, F.H. Wu, Z.M. Pei, J. Wang, Y.G. Wu, H.L. Zheng
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(5):201-208 | DOI: 10.17221/231/2009-PSE 
Nitric oxide (NO) emission from detached barley leaves, roots and whole plants treated with various nitrate or nitrite concentrations under light/dark and aerobic/anaerobic conditions was quantified by using a chemiluminescence detector. NO emission from detached tissues and whole plants treated with moderate nitrate concentration (60mM) was relatively higher under anaerobic condition, and was positively correlated with nitrite concentration. Darkness and anaerobic condition remarkably induced NO emission from detached barley leaves. On the contrary, NO emission from detached roots and whole plants was relatively higher in light. As for whole plants...
Growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant defense systém in Zn-deficient red cabbage plants
R. Hajiboland, F. Amirazad
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(5):209-217 | DOI: 10.17221/207/2009-PSE
The effect of Zn deficiency was studied in red cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra) plants grown in nutrient solution under controlled environmental conditions. Zinc starvation affected the number (61%), surface area (72%) and biomass (62%) of leaves more than root biomass (42%). Although chlorophyll fluorescence parameters revealed occurrence of photoinhibition following declined stomatal conductance and reduction of CO2 available at carboxylation sites, photosynthesis apparatus was not damaged seriously under Zn deficiency conditions. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll a/b ratio, soluble carbohydrates and starch...
The impact of source or sink limitations on yield formation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) due to post-anthesis water and nitrogen deficiencies
A. Madani, A. Shirani-Rad, A. Pazoki, G. Nourmohammadi, R. Zarghami, A. Mokhtassi-Bidgoli
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(5):218-227 | DOI: 10.17221/193/2009-PSE
The experiments were laid out to understand the mechanisms causing yield limitations imposed by post-anthesis water and nitrogen deficiencies in plants with modified source-sink ratios. Two soil-water regimes were allotted to the main plots. At anthesis, three levels of N were applied: none, 25% and 50% of total the N supply. Spike-halving caused reduction in grain yield at both water regimes and all N supply levels, showing that the reduction in grain number can not be compensated by a higher individual grain weight. Sink reduction by trimming 50% of the spikelets reduced grain number per ear by 38.5% and increased individual grain weight by 12.0%,...
Irrigation regimes affect early root development, shoot growth and yields of maize (Zea mays L.) in tropical minor seasons
U.R. Sangakkara, P. Amarasekera, P. Stamp
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(5):228-234 | DOI: 10.17221/217/2009-PSE
Moisture stress is an important factor affecting field-grown maize in the tropics, especially in the minor dry seasons, and irrigation is required for successful crop growth and yields. Field experiments evaluated the impact of four irrigation regimes ranging from 3 to 21-day intervals on growth of maize (Zea mays L.) roots and shoots at critical stages and on seed yields when compared to those of irrigated maize plants in two minor seasons at Sri Lanka. While surface wetting at planting induced germination in all treatments, growth of seminal and first-order lateral roots was enhanced by increasing irrigation intervals. Relative water contents...
Various growth strategies of yellow birch seedlings in multiple-abiotic factor changing environments
H.T. Song, S. Cheng
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(5):235-243 | DOI: 10.17221/213/2009-PSE
Elevated CO2 concentration, light intensity and soil-sterile conditions are thought as three of the most important factors to affect plant growth and development. However, their combined physiological effect on plants is unknown so far. In this study, we measured the possible individual and combined impacts of the three factors on the growth of yellow birch seedlings (Betula alleghaniensis Britton). Our results showed that from individual perspective, elevated CO2 can significantly increase biomass attributes (e.g., leaf, root, and stem) and root biomass ratio; light intensity can significantly influence traits like total biomass and leaf biomass;...
Metal levels in some refuse dump soils and plants in Ghana
K. Agyarko, E. Darteh, B. Berlinger
Plant Soil Environ., 2010, 56(5):244-251 | DOI: 10.17221/13/2010-PSE
Concentrations of Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo and As were determined in soils and leaves of plants from refuse dumpsites and background soils in two cities, a municipality and a rural community in Ghana, using a ThermoFinnigan Element 2 high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (HR-ICP-MS) instrument. The refuse dump soils were classified between 'Uncontaminated to Moderate' and 'Strongly Contaminated'. Pollution levels for Cd (Igeo = 2.06-2.40) and Zn (Igeo = 2.95-3.36) were higher than of the other metals. The refuse dump soil from the rural community was the least polluted with the metals. Fe and Ni loads in plants...