Plant, Soil and Environment, 2012 (vol. 58), issue 3
Antioxidative mechanisms on selenium accumulation in Pteris vittata L., a potential selenium phytoremediation plant
R.W. Feng, C.Y. Wei
Plant Soil Environ., 2012, 58(3):105-110 | DOI: 10.17221/162/2011-PSE 
Selenium (Se) contamination due to industrial activities has received increasing concerns. Phytoremediation has been suggested to be an efficient and feasible way to remove Se from Se-contaminated environment. Recently, an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L. (Chinese Brake fern) was found to be a Se accumulator. This study was carried out to investigate Se accumulation mechanisms concentrating on antioxidant responses of this plant to six levels of selenite (0, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 mg/L). The results showed that Chinese Brake fern can accumulate a large amount of Se without any visible toxic symptoms and significant decreases in...
Exogenous nitric oxide alleviates iron-deficiency chlorosis in peanut growing on calcareous soil
X.W. Zhang, Y.J. Dong, X.K. Qiu, G.Q. Hu, Y.H. Wang, Q.H. Wang
Plant Soil Environ., 2012, 58(3):111-120 | DOI: 10.17221/310/2011-PSE
Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a nitric oxide (NO) donor, was added into controlled release fertilizer (CRF) or sprayed on leaves to supply NO on iron deficiency stress in peanut (Arachis hypogaea Linn) plants growing on calcareous soils. Iron deficiency reduced plant growth and chlorophyll content. NO improved plant growth and alleviated leaf interveinal chlorosis, and increased the activity of root FeIII reductase and the concentration of available iron in cultured soil, suggesting that NO action could be related to iron availability to the plant. The actual photochemical efficiency (ΦPSII) and photochemical maximum efficiency...
Calcium regulates K+/Na+ homeostasis in rice (Oryza sativa L.) under saline conditions
G.Q. Wu, S.M. Wang
Plant Soil Environ., 2012, 58(3):121-127 | DOI: 10.17221/374/2011-PSE
To investigate the effects of Ca2+ on cation accumulation and K+/Na+ selectivity, in this study, two-week-old rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants were exposed to 25 or 125 mmol/L NaCl with or without 10 mmol/L CaCl2. At low salinity (25 mmol/L NaCl), Ca2+ significantly decreased Na+ accumulation in roots, increased K+ accumulation in shoots, and maintained higher K+/Na+ ratios in both roots and shoots of rice plants. At high salinity (125 mmol/L NaCl), however, Ca2+ did not have any effects on Na+, K+ accumulation and...
Effect of fertilization on composition and spatial distribution of dissolved organic nitrogen in paddy soil microbial systems
H. Zhang, Z. Zhao, X. Yi, Y. Lu, L. Cao
Plant Soil Environ., 2012, 58(3):128-134 | DOI: 10.17221/533/2011-PSE
Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) has high bioavailability and is an important source of soil nutrients. In order to determine the concentrations and the composition of DON in different depths (0-30 cm), and provide a theoretical basis for further deep research into the paddy soil nitrogen supply, experiments based on the lysimeter method were carried out to investigate the effect of fertilization on composition and spatial distribution of DON in paddy soil. Paddy soil was treated under chemical fertilization treatment (CT) and mixed fertilization treatment (MT). With methods of PCR-DGGE and HPLC-MS, the results of the experiments suggested that the...
The effect of different sulfur doses and forms on changes of soil heavy metals
M. Skwierawska, L. Zawartka, A. Skwierawski, A. Nogalska
Plant Soil Environ., 2012, 58(3):135-140 | DOI: 10.17221/638/2011-PSE
A three-year field experiment was conducted in North-East Poland. Each year three sulfur fertilization rates in the form of sulphate (S-SO42-) and pure (S-S0) sulfur were applied: 40, 80, and 120 kg/ha. After the third year of the study, the application of sulfate and elemental sulfur decreased the zinc content of 0-40 and 40-80 cm soil layers, as compared with soil sampled before the experiment. Over the entire experimental period, sulfur fertilization had no significant effect on changes in the natural copper content of soil at a depth of 0-40 and 40-80 cm. Manganese concentrations remained at a similar level at a...
A comparison of macro- and microelement concentrations in the whole grain of four Triticum species
E. Suchowilska, M. Wiwart, W. Kandler, R. Krska
Plant Soil Environ., 2012, 58(3):141-147 | DOI: 10.17221/688/2011-PSE
The aim of this study was to compare the concentrations of five macro- and fifteen microelements in the whole grain of spring lines of emmer, einkorn, spelt and two common wheat cultivars, all grown under identical environmental conditions. All elements were determined by ICP-SFMS analysis. The studied Triticum species differed significantly with respect to the concentrations of P, Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, Na, Cu, Sr, Rb, and Mo. The grain of all hulled wheats, compared with common wheat, contained significantly more Zn (from 34% to 54%), Fe (from 31% to 33%) and Cu (from 3% to 28%). In the majority of cases, there were no relationships between the...
Weed suppression and crop productivity by different arrangement patterns of maize
M. Simić, Ž. Dolijanović, R. Maletić, L. Stefanović, M. Filipović
Plant Soil Environ., 2012, 58(3):148-153 | DOI: 10.17221/606/2011-PSE
A field experiment was conducted in order to estimate the influence of different arrangement patterns of maize plants (Zea mays L.) in combination with low rates of herbicides on weed infestation and on production parameters of the crop. The maize was sown at 70-, 50-, and 35-cm row space with the same crop density. The weed biomass declined with smaller row spaces and was, on average, the lowest with the 35-cm row space; even though the arrangement patterns of the maize plants had no significant effect on the average values of the weed biomass. The interaction of the arrangement pattern and the herbicide rate significantly influenced weed...