Plant, Soil and Environment, 2011 (vol. 57), issue 7
Diagnose apricot nutritional status according to foliar analysis
T. Milošević, N. Milošević
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):301-306 | DOI: 10.17221/171/2010-PSE 
This experiment was conducted in Cacak (Western Serbia) during 2004 and 2005 to determine the influence of Belosljiva, Dragacevka, Stanley, Kolenstockzwetsche, Wangenheim, Pozegaca, and Kapavac interstocks budded on Myrobalan seedlings on the seasonal changes, leaf macronutrient contents at 120 days after full bloom (DAFB) and deviation from optimum percentage (DOP) of Vera apricot cultivars. The macronutrients analyzed were N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. Nitrogen was consistently decreased during the vegetative cycle on all interstocks, while leaf P, Ca, and Mg had a tendency of increasing, except P on Kapavac. Potassium had a tendency to increase from 60 to...
Relationship between phosphorus concentration in soil solution and phosphorus in shoots of barley
J. Matula
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):307-314 | DOI: 10.17221/149/2011-PSE
Phosphorus concentration in the soil solution of agricultural soils should be a consensus of the agronomic and environmental aspect. Data from literary sources are inconsistent if the method of soil solution extraction from the soil and the method of phosphorus detection are not indicated. In the present paper a simplified procedure of soil solution extraction is used that is derived from the need of water to attain saturated soil paste. Based on barley cultivation in a plant growth chamber on 72 different soils the relationship between P concentration in simulated soil solution and the response of test plant (spring barley) was evaluated. Three approaches...
Effect of foliar application of selenium on the content of selected amino acids in potato tubers (Solanum tuberosum L.)
P. Ježek, J. Hlušek, T. Lošák, M. Jůzl, P. Elzner, S. Kráčmar, F. Buňka, A. Martensson
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):315-320 | DOI: 10.17221/57/2011-PSE
Selenium (Se) is an important element associated with the enhancement of antioxidant activity in organisms. Potato is very suitable for fertilisation with Se (biofortification). The experiment was performed to examine the effect of foliar application of Se as sodium selenite (200 or 400 g Se/ha) at the tuberisation stage on a spectrum of amino acids in tubers of varieties. The trends of amino acids were consistent in both years of the study. Application of Se increased the relative content of total essential (EAA) and non-essential (NEAA) amino acids relative to the controls (Karin: EAA 16.81-21.73% and NEAA 14.18-18.63%; Ditta: EAA 4.71-13.00% and...
Effect of hydrogel on the performance of aerobic rice sown under different techniques
A. Rehman, R. Ahmad, M. Safdar
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):321-325 | DOI: 10.17221/81/2011-PSE
Declining water is a great concern in production of rice, because rice is more sensitive to water deficiency which restricts normal rice growth resulting in enormous economic loss. A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of hydrogel in different sowing techniques of aerobic rice viz. flat, ridge, and bed sowing. Observations on soil moisture percentage before every irrigation, yield, and yield components of rice were recorded. Application of hydrogel improved soil moisture contents in all the three sowing techniques as compared to soil without hydrogel. More soil moisture contents met the crop water needs and increased the number of germinated...
Gas exchange and chlorophyll synthesis of maize cultivars are enhanced by exogenously-applied glycinebetaine under drought conditions
S.A. Anjum, M. Farooq, L.C. Wang, L.L. Xue, S.G. Wang, L. Wang, S. Zhang, M. Chen
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):326-331 | DOI: 10.17221/41/2011-PSE
Glycinebetaine acts as an osmoprotectant and is closely related with drought resistance. In the present study, glycinebetaine (GB) was exogenously-applied to two contrasting maize cultivars, Dongdan-60 and ND-95, to see whether GB improves drought resistance. Maize cultivars were grown with normal water supply till the heading stage and then exposed to two levels of soil moisture, well-watered control and drought-stressed, and then GB solution of 100 mmol was foliar applied five days after moisture treatments were imposed. The gas exchange and chlorophyll concentration were substantially declined in both maize cultivars under water stressed conditions....
Inhibition of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity by cadmium in excised etiolated maize leaf segments during greening
J. Sarangthem, M. Jain, R. Gadre
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):332-337 | DOI: 10.17221/45/2011-PSE
Supply of 0.1-0.5 mmol CdCl2 inhibited δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.24, ALAD) activity and total chlorophylls in excised etiolated segments of maize leaves during greening. Due to cadmium supply δ-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) content was reduced significantly at 0.5 mmol Cd only. Also the Cd treatment decreased the protein content and accumulated significantly the Cd in the tissue. Significant correlation between Cd accumulation in the leaves and various parameters measured is observed, with the R-squared values being 0.727 with ALAD activity, 0.885 with ALA content, 0.902 with total chlorophylls and 1.00...
Analysis of anatomical and functional traits of xylem in Humulus lupulus L. stems
V. Gloser, M. Baláž, P. Svoboda
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):338-343 | DOI: 10.17221/63/2011-PSE
Hop plants have unusually low values of the ratio between internal area of xylem conducts and leaf area, indicating that their xylem conducts solutes very efficiently. In the present study we analyzed the structure and function of xylem in stems of field-grown hop plants. Vessels of secondary xylem (SX) were more potent to conduct solutes compared to primary xylem (PRX) as they were wider (maximal/mean diameter of SX vessels in basal stem segments was on average 209/73 μm compared to 82/40 μm in PRX) and longer (up to 75 cm, compared up to 30 cm in PRX). The contribution of PRX to total Kh of the segment was on average 45.0 ± 29.9% in...
Influence of road salting on the adjacent Norway spruce (Picea abies) forest
S.T. Forczek, O. Benada, O. Kofroňová, K. Sigler, M. Matucha
Plant Soil Environ., 2011, 57(7):344-350 | DOI: 10.17221/356/2010-PSE
Winter deicing and traffic spreads salt to road-adjacent Norway spruce trees in the form of spraying and salt slops. Our use of Na36Cl revealed roots as the main pathway of salt uptake. One-shot application of a concentrated Na36Cl solution to spruce saplings by both irrigation and spraying causes macroscopic damage to the needles and affects the needle phyllosphere. Irrigation affects the trees more than spraying because Cl- uptake through roots is faster and eventually leads to higher chloride content in the plant. Along with the root-needle route, spray-deposited chloride from the needles is re-transported back into...