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Method ISTA SDS-PAGE was used for separation, detection and evaluation of high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW) in the different wheat species. The relation has been studied between the HMW glutenin subunit alleles and the bread-making quality of 25 world wheat cultivars and 21 regional varieties common wheat varieties (Triticum aestivum L.), 17 winter spelt wheat (Triticum spelta L.), 3 durum wheat cultivars (Triticum durum DESF.), 9 cultivars of Triticum turgidum L. and 5 cultivars of Triticum polonicum L. The highest frequency of occurrence of HMW glutenin subunits 2*, 13 + 16 and 5 + 10 were found in world wheat cultivars. In Slovak wheat varieties were analysed subunits 0, 7 + 9 and 5 + 10, 2 + 12. The HMW subunits 0, 7 + 8 with Glu-score 4 were determined in Triticum durum DESF. Three electrophoretical profile groups of different HMW glutenin subunits were found in Triticum turgidum L. and Triticum polonicum L. and six electrophoretical profile groups were determined in Triticum spelta L. The verified correlations between bread-making quality and specific HMW subunits of glutenin can be utilised by wheat breeders using SDS-PAGE of proteins as a screening test for the prediction of bread-making quality of wheat.

The influence of accelerated ageing test (AAT), i.e. of higher temperature and humidity, on the content and composition of phenolic compounds in the grains of five cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was studied in the years 1998 and 1999. Total polyphenols were determined spectrophotometrically by Folin-Ciocalteau's phenolic reagent and free phenolic acids by an HPLC method in control samples and after deterioration treatment (AAT) in the Ebi, Estica, Nela, Samanta and Šárka cultivars. Statistical significance of deterioration treatment, cultivar, cultivation site, and harvest year was proved. Content of total polyphenols increased during deterioration and levels of the individual free phenolic acid changed depending on their structures. Mean contents of total polyphenols varied from 600 to 960 mg/kg of dry matter. The increase caused by the AAT ranged between 0-20%, the greatest mean increase was observed in the cultivar Nela (by 19%). Sinapic acid (as high as 540 mg/kg of dry matter), 3-hydroxy-benzoic acid and 7-hydroxycoumarin were determined as the major phenolic acids and coumarins. A decrease of free phenolic acids containing methoxy groups in their molecules (sinapic and vanillic acids) and an increase of phenolic acids with free hydroxy groups (caffeic and gallic acids) was observed after deterioration treatment. Statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) effect of AAT on the content of free phenolic acids was observed.

Many factors, most notably climate, soil, genotype and fertilising, can influence barley grain composition and its nutritive value. The aim of the research was to evaluate the impact of mineral N rate in different management systems in the static long-term experiment with three years field rotation of grain maize, wheat and barley on the chemical composition of winter barley and its nutritive value for ruminants. Crude protein content and metabolizable crude protein content were increasing with increased mineral N rates. Higher yield meant lower crude protein and metabolizable crude protein content in all mineral N rates. The average crude protein content of barley grain, presented in DLG tables (1997), which is 12.4%, was in MM and SM reached by fertilising rate 110 kg N/ha. A significant impact of mineral N fertilising on crude ash, ether extract and crude fibre content could not be confirmed, nitrogen-free extract content was decreasing with increased mineral N rates. A significant impact of the management system on the Weende analysis parameters, net energy for lactation, metabolizable energy and metabolizable crude protein could not be confirmed. At both analyses a significant impact of the season was confirmed on crude protein content and nitrogen-free extract content. Although the protein content was increasing with increased mineral N rate from 9.2-14.2% (for 35%) ME content and NEL content did not significantly differ considering mineral N rate; ME/ha and NEL/ha increasing with increased mineral N rates was the result of the yield increasing with increased mineral N rates.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a barley disease, which occurs every year in various areas of barley cultivation all over the world and the increasing incidence has been confirmed in the Czech Republic also during the last years. We aimed to emply AFLP (Amplified fragment length polymorphism) and SSR (Single sequence repeats) markers to describe diversity among breeding lines with a sufficient level of resistance towards FHB and to find marker(s) associated with the analysed traits. The number of eight accessions including five expected resistance donors and three sensitive lines were tested in the field and laboratory. The field values and the amount of deoxynivalenol were positively correlated (r = 0.92). The laboratory test and content DON manifested also a high correlation (r = 0.73). Several DH lines developed from androgenetic barley progenies of the F1 hybrids between the susceptible line PI 383933 and resistant line PEC 210 or the susceptible line PI 383933 and resistant cultivar Chevron were found resistant towards Fusarium infection in both the field and laboratory tests. Low infestation was found at line DH 37 from combination Chevron × PI 383933 and lines DH48, DH49, DH50 and DH55 from the combination PEC 210 × PI 383933. Cluster analyses based on 68 AFLP and 18 SSR markers demonstrate a genetic relationship among parental genotypes and DH lines.Some DH lines combined a sufficient degree of resistance against FHB and extract content (basic parameters malting quality). Statistically significant differences in malt-extract values were observed between groups of the DH lines possessing and not possessing the AFLP marker CAA/AGC 341bp. The markers will be further evaluated and optionally used for MAS.

The objective of the paper was to determine an appropriate concentration of available sulphur in soil for the initial growth of plants. Based on previous researches two methods of soil extraction were used to acquire information on the soil reserve: water extraction (H₂O 1:5, w/v) and extraction in 0.5M ammonium acetate with addition of NH₄F (KVK-UF soil test). Spring barley was used as a test crop to determine the soil reserve of sulphur and its response to sulphur addition to the soil. A collection of 48 samples of topsoil from agriculturally important localities in the CR was made up for this purpose and the parameters of the nutrient status of the soil were remarkably different. A set of soils was used to establish short-time vegetation experiments in a plant growth chamber according to the scheme: A) control - without sulphur application and B) response variant with application of 30 mg S/kg of soil in the form of (NH)₄SO₄; nitrogen in variant A was adjusted by application of NH₄Cl. Index of nutrient efficiency (IE = Y/N where Y = yield and N = nutrient concentration in the plant) and boundary lines of the point field were used to evaluate the efficiency of barley nutrition with sulphur. The efficient soil reserve of sulphur for the soil test H₂O (1:5) when the ICP analytical technique was used was indicated in the range of 8-11 mg S/kg; 6-10 mg S/kg for sulphate detection on a SKALAR analyser. The efficient utilisation of sulphur by barley plants for the KVK-UF soil test was in the range of 7-12 mg S/kg. The conversion of the KVK-UF S-test to the index of soil reserve of sulphur by adding up a variable portion of the CEC value to the value of sulphur determined by the soil test (0.0167CEC + 9.1667) improved the closeness of the relationship between soil and plant.

Labile Al forms can be dangerous in acid soils due to their potential toxicity to plants. This paper deals with the distribution of exchangeable, weakly organically bound, and total organically bound Al forms in soils on 98 sites of the Jizera Mountains region. For the extraction of these Al forms, 0.5M KCl (Al_KCl), 0.3M CuCl₂ (Al_CuCl2), and 0.05M Na₄P₂O₇ (Al_Na4P2O7) solutions were used, respectively. Aluminium concentrations in all extracts were determined by means of ICP-OES. Following mean concentrations of Al forms were found in the O and B horizons (mg/kg): Al_KCl - 1236 and 832, Al_CuCl2 - 4268 and 1945, and Al_Na4P2O7 - 5043 and 8420. Basic soil characteristics were determined by commonly used methods. Their influence on Al forms distribution was assessed. Factor analysis showed that the most important soil factors controlling Al forms distribution were soil reaction and the total content of Ca (or Ca and Mg in the B horizon).

The present investigation was conducted to know the impact of bio-inoculants in low input field conditions on the magnitude and direction of gene effects and mean performance of some morphological and productivity traits in three wheat cultivars WH 147 (medium mineral input), WH 533 (drought tolerant), Raj 3077 (drought tolerant) and six generations namely P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁ and BC₂ of three crosses i.e. WH 147 × WH 533, WH 533 × Raj 3077 and WH 147 × Raj 3077. The experiment was conducted in randomised block design with three replications and three treatments i.e. control (C, without inoculation), inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF, Glomus fasciculatum), and AMF + Azotobacter chroococcum (Azc). Mineral fertilizer (80 kg N/ha + 40 kg P/ha + 18 kg ZnSO₄/ha) was applied in all the three treatments. The application of bio-inoculants, AMF and AMF + Azc had a positive effect on plant height, peduncle length, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index in various populations of all the crosses. However, in some of the generations the impact of bio-inoculants was insignificant. The joint scaling test revealed that additive-dominance gene effects were mainly operative in governing expression of peduncle length, tillers per plant, plant height, grains/spike, grain yield and all traits except days to flowering and harvest index in crosses WH 147 × WH 533 and WH 533 × Raj 3077. The application of bioinoculants influenced gene effects for days to flowering, days to maturity, flag leaf area, spike length, grains/spike, 1000 grain weight and harvest index where complex genetic interactions were changed to simple additive-dominance gene effects in the cross WH 147 × Raj 3077. Likewise, additive-dominance gene effects were altered and digenic interactions exhibited for days to maturity, flag leaf area in WH 147 × WH 533 and days to flowering, plant height, flag leaf area in WH 533 × Raj 3077. Flag leaf area and plant height were governed by additive gene effects while for days to maturity and 1000-grain weight both additive and dominance gene effect were important. Duplicate epistasis was important in all the three crosses for days to flowering and harvest index and in the cross WH 147 × Raj 3077 for grain weight grains per spike and flag leaf area.

Results of scoring the resistance of 35 selected spring barley varieties to powdery mildew, exhibiting high powdery mildew severity, in 307 variety trials of the Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture were analysed. The varieties can be divided into two groups: the varieties that could not induce any changes in the pathogen population (the varieties with no effective resistance gene and varieties carrying gene mlo) and the varieties possessing major resistance genes [a total of 12 Ml-genes: a1, a3, a6, a7, a9, a12, a13, at, k1, La, g and (Kr)] to which the pathogen population adapted in 1971-2000. The time slope of decreasing resistance of varieties is described. The importance of individual evolutionary forces (mutations, migration, direct selection, indirect selection and recombinations) for the erosion of efficiency of respective major resistance genes and the effects of pathogen adaptation on population complexity and diversity are discussed.

A five-year study was conducted to study the correlations between chemical analyses and sensory properties of wine during bottle aging. Chardonnay grapes were harvested as a normal and late harvest. After separate vinification, bottles were put in an underground cellar at12°Cand 75% of humidity. Chemical and sensory analyses were carried out after bottling (0), after 12, 24 and 36 months of bottle aging. The results of chemical and sensory evaluation show a strong correlation between a young wine bouquet and decrease in the concentration of isoamyl and 2-phenethyl acetates, and between an increase in diethyl succinate and bottle bouquet.

A new method was proposed that complements the value of active carbon in the soil expressed as hot-water soluble carbon Chws. The method is based on vacuum measurements of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of soil suspensions using an Oxi Top Control system manufactured by the WTW Merck Company that is destined for hydrochemical analyses of organically contaminated waters. Measurements will provide BOD values for particular days of incubation; total limit BODt can be determined from these values, and it is possible to calculate the rate constant k1 of mineralization of a decomposable part of soil organic matter. It is typical of soil organic matter (SOM) of a given soil sample and comparable with the BOD5:COD (chemical oxygen demand) ratio that is used to evaluate degradability of water organic contamination in hydrochemical analytics.

A survey was made to evaluate sanitary status of grapevines in the Czech Republic with regard to occurrence of economically important viruses. Propagation material of 109 grapevine clones was tested for presence of Grapevine fanleaf virus, Arabis mosaic virus, Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 1, Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3, Grapevine virus A, Grapevine virus B and Grapevine fleck virus. Dormant canes were collected and cortical scrappings were analyzed by DAS-ELISA. All seven viruses tested were found to be widely spread in Czech propagation material of grapevine. From 330 individual vines tested, 148 vines were found to be infected with at least one virus. From 109 clones tested, in 98 clones at least one vine negative for tested pathogens was found. Such vines were promoted as candidate plants into screenhouse in Faculty of Horticulture Lednice and will be further tested by other methods. Sanitation of infected grapevine clones is needed in near future.

Three maize inbred lines (Os86-39, Os89-35 and Os87-24) were grown in pots with Eutric Cambisol using 9 fertilisation variants (control 10 kg/ha Zn - on soil surface; 5 kg/ha - foliar application; 61 kg/ha P; 61 kg/ha P and 10 kg/ha Zn - on soil surface; 61 kg/ha P and 5 kg/ha Zn - foliar application; 183 kg/ha P; 183 kg/ha P and 10 kg/ha Zn - on soil surface; 183 kg/ha P and 5 kg/ha Zn - foliar application). The effects of phosphorus and zinc fertilisation on the dry matter yield, plant height, stalk diameter as well as phosphorus and zinc concentrations in ear-leaves were investigated. Significant differences were found between the lines in all parameters investigated except for phosphorus concentration. Line Os87-24 was characterised by the best results in the total biomass production. Zinc fertilisation decreased while phosphorus fertilisation increased total plant dry matter mass. Phosphorus fertilisation increased its concentration in the ear-leaves. Zinc fertilisation, especially foliar, resulted in Zn concentration increase in the ear-leaf of the lines investigated.

Molecular sampling of HSVd in grapevines in the environs of hop gardens was performed. Specific RT PCR primers were designed to unambiguously distinguish between HLVd and HSVd infections. These primers were used for detection and analysis of HSVd cDNAs from individual samples by thermodynamic methods, TGGE and cDNA heteroduplex analysis. We found that at least 70% of grapevine samples from locations close to hop gardens inNorthern Bohemia(Žatec and Úštěk hop production areas) were infected with HSVd forming populations containing quasispecies. Particular sequence variants, dominant in grapevines from wine-growing areas like Znojmo, were also found in minor private vineyards. HSVd was experimentally transmissible (80% success) from these samples to Osvald's clone 72 of Czech hop, where according to the cDNA library screening, one of the dominant HSVdg variants corresponding to AC E01844 was detected in early populations three weeks p.i. HSVd was detected neither in reproduction materials nor in examined hop gardens. However a potential danger for hop cultivation, consisting in the high biological potential of HSVd spread is discussed.

Five cultivars of spelt wheat (Rouquin, Bauländer Spelz, Schwabenkorn, Franckenkorn and Holstenkorn) have been evaluated for baking quality by means of direct and indirect indicators. Three-year values of the indirect indicators have been statistically processed by the analysis of variance. Based on the results obtained we can say that all evaluated indicators except the extensibility of gluten were significantly influenced mainly by the year of growing. The cultivar itself was a less important source of variance, although some values of important indicators differed significantly according to cultivars. Based on indirect indicators such as the content of wet gluten, its extensibility and swelling, the content of N-substances, the sedimentation test in the modification with SDS, the falling number and the content of starch, the cultivars Schwabenkorn and Rouquin are considered as the most suitable and of the highest quality. In general all the cultivars of Triticum spelta L. showed high contents of N-substances (x = 15.46%) and wet gluten contents (x = 37.12%). Their disadvantages are lower swelling values (x = 9.3 ml) and lower sedimentation values (x = 37.4 ml) which have a negative influence on the bread volume and the specific volume (under 310 ml.100 g^-1). The predicted good baking quality of Schwabenkorn has been comfirmed in a baking experiment (direct method of evaluating the baking quality). There were good baking quality results for Bauländer Spelz as well. Unexpectedly bad results have been found with Rouquin, which showed the lowest water absorbing capacity of flour, the lowest bread volume, specific volume and baking extraction. The bread was just acceptable as far as taste is concerned. The baking from Holstenkorn was evaluated as excellent.

The level of the usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) has a direct influence on the development and competitiveness of individuals, firms, production sectors, regions and even the whole continents. The availability of ICT, including the Internet, to agricultural enterprises in theCzechRepublicis already very satisfactory. Due to the structure of agricultural enterprises the penetration of Internet technologies in theCzechRepublicis more intensive than in most EU countries. Therefore an urgent issue is the level of the usage of these technologies that is not an issue related to finances anymore but it is a problem related to the knowledge and habits of users and availability of information and services. The project of the portal for the agriculture sector and countryside AGRIS has a significant impact on the level of the usage of Internet information and services in the agriculture sector.

The laboratory incubation with glucose treatment was carried out in order to estimate the possible effects of increased microbial activity on heavy metal availability. The soils from vicinity of a lead smelter operating for more than 200 years were used for the experiment. The DTPA-extractable heavy metal contents increased after glucose addition and mostly reached the highest values the second day of the incubation. The comparative study, where the chloroform fumigation was used prior to the incubation in order to decrease the microbial activities, showed especially from second day of incubation significantly lower DTPA-extractable metal contents compared to non-fumigated treatments. The interactions among the maximum possible availability of DTPA-extractable heavy metal fractions and native soil microbial characteristics were studied in differently contaminated arable and grassland soils. Irrespective of different heavy metal contents in soils, significant correlations were found among the maximum percentage increase of DTPA-extractable Pb and Cd and the ratio Bc/TOC and metabolic quotient (qCO₂) which may be a result of the important role of organic matter and microbial characteristics in soils on the heavy metal availability.

The effect of fluridone (or flurochloridone), the inhibitor of carotenoid, chlorophyll and abscisic acid synthesis, on the abscission of Ligustrum vulgare leaves was investigated. Both forms of fluridone inhibited the abscission of petioles when they were applied as a 1.0% concentration in lanolin to the leaf blade. Fluridone was capable of inhibiting abscission even when it was applied to the petiole as late as 7 hours after the blade was cut off. Fluridone applied in lanolin to the apical part of intact pea seedlings or on the cut surface after decapitation of the epicotyl caused albinism of the stipules. The degree of albinism decreased according to the concentration of applied flurodine (from the highest - 0.5% to the lowest - 0.03%) and was higher in intact than in decapitated plants. Albinism also appeared in pea seedlings grown from seeds swollen in differently concentrated solutions of flurochloridone, particularly in the basal part of the shoots. Complete albinism occurred only in plants cultivated from seeds swollen in high concentrations (0.06-0.12%). The lowest concentration (0.007%) stimulated root growth of the pea seedlings, but inhibited epicotyl growth.

Traditional way of growing buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum L.) in Slovenia is stubble-crop production, but grown as a full-season crop it yields more. Genotypes that are adapted to stubble-crop system may not necessarily be the best adapted for the full-season crop. The objective of this study was to determine yield performance of two buckwheat genotypes under stubble-crop and full-season production system. The experiments (randomised block design) were conducted in Podravje region with two common determinant buckwheat genotypes (land race population and cultivar Darja) in 1997 and 1998. Buckwheat grown as a full-season crop had a greater leaf area index, more flower clusters, more developed seeds and 42% higher yield than the stubble-crop buckwheat. Although cultivar Darja had 10% less flower clusters than the land race population, the number of flowers and the number of developed grains were higher. The 35% higher grain yield of cultivar Darja was associated with larger leaf area index than land race population (4.0 vs. 2.3). Cultivar Darja outperformed the land race population under full-season crop production, whereas the yield difference between the two varieties was not significant under the stubble-crop production. These results suggest that the best yielding buckwheat genotypes should be determined separately for stubble-crop and/or full-season production system.

Dual inoculation of peat based horticulture substrate with a mixture of four species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and fungal biocontrol agent Trichoderma harzianum showed a significant positive effect on the growth and flowering of cyclamen plants. Inoculation substantially decreased plant mortality caused by spontaneous infection by the fungal pathogen Cryptocline cyclaminis. Plant mortality was also reduced by separate inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Both separately inoculated agents positively affected the plant growth, although to a lesser extent. Very few significant effects of inoculation were observed on the growth of poinsettia plants cultivated from cuttings. Use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi together with the introduction of Trichoderma for inoculation of horticultural substrates is suggested to alleviate the inevitable effects of various stresses during the cultivation of horticultural crops.

The effect of Al stress on peroxidase activity and peroxidase isozymes was studied in roots of two barley cultivars with contrasting sensitivity to Al. Al treatment induced a tremendous enhancement of guaiacol peroxidase activity especially in roots of Al-sensitive barley cv. Alfor. After 48 h of Al treatment activity of peroxidase in roots of cv. Alfor was up to 5.5 times higher than the control roots. In contrast, activity of peroxidase in the roots of Al-resistant cv. Bavaria was about one half than that in roots of Al-sensitive Alfor. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that at least five peroxidase isozymes are activated by Al treatment. Using IEF we determined that three of Al-induced peroxidase isozymes are cationic with pI about 8.2, 8.4 and 8.6, while two other are anionic isoperoxidases with pI about 4.0 and 4.5. Al induced increase in the activity of root peroxidases correlated with the extent of Al induced root growth inhibition. The inhibition of root growth in Al-sensitive Alfor represented 44% but in Al-resistant Bavaria only 21% in comparison with control plants. Higher peroxidase activity, as well, as higher inhibition of root growth in Al-sensitive Alfor suggest that enhanced oxidative stress generated by Al treatment is significantly more stressful in Alfor than in the Al-resistant Bavaria.

High yielding varieties of rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars were tested for their tolerance to different levels of molybdenum (Mo) (0.1µM - control, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6µM) in nutrient solution at pH 6.8. Seeds of rice were germinated and grown in presence of molybdenum under controlled environmental conditions. Standard growth parameters such as root length, shoot length, root/shoot dry biomass and root/shoot tolerance index were tested as markers of molybdenum toxicity. Measurements as early as 48 hours after the germination did not yield consistent results. However, root measurement on 3^rd, 6^th and 9^th day after root emergence showed significant differences among cultivars of rice. Rice cultivars Annapurna, Kusuma, Deepa and Vaghari developed better root system while, Paridhan-1, Pusa-2-21 and Ratna showed poor growth of the roots in presence (0.8µM) of molybdenum. The root tolerance index (RTI) and the shoot tolerance index (STI) in Annapurna, Kusuma and Deepa in rice were high indicating their tolerance to molybdenum; Paridhan-1 and Ratna, however, showed low RTI and STI. Based on the growth parameters, twenty cultivars of rice were ranked in respect of their tolerance to molybdenum: Annapurrna > Deepa > Kusuma > Vaghari > Hamsa > Vikram > Bharati > Paridhan-2 > Aswathi > Subhadra > Sankar > Sakti > Nilgiri > Rudra > Hema > Pragati > Pusa-2-21 > Ratna > Paridhan-1, respectively. Molybdenum toxicity was correlated with increased peroxidase and catalase activity in different cultivars of rice. This method can be employed for quick screening of rice cultivars for molybdenum tolerance in breeding programmes.

This paper deals with the changes in soil active acidity, mobile aluminium, base saturation, iron and manganese under the influence of quicklime (QL), mixture of soft lithothamnian limestone (SLL) and dolomite (D), and special natural amendments (SNA) based on zeolite tuff. Investigations were carried out on pseudogley of mesoelevations, dystric. The four-year trial was set up according to the Latin rectangle method with 18 trial treatments in four replications. While SNA based on zeolite tuff had little effect on changes of the studied parameters, traditional lime materials (LM), owing also to the fact that they were applied at several times higher rates, had a very positive effect. Soil acidity, iron and manganese were reduced under their influence, mobile aluminium, particularly under their higher rate, was fully blocked or reduced within tolerable limits, and base saturation was raised to a satisfactory level. Effects of SNA depended on the ratio of zeolite tuff and the lime component in them. It could be presupposed that their main efficiency happened in the domain of ion exchange with a positive impact on soil fertility.

Partial characterization of iron binding compounds in spinach above ground biomass and differences between binding of Cd, Zn and Fe in spinach biomass were investigated on two soils treated by sewage sludge in model pot experiment. After application of sludge to both soils, Cd and Zn accumulation in spinach biomass was increased in sludge treatments. Total Fe content in biomass showed opposite trend with these treatments and was decreased 2.5-2.7 fold. Results of sequential analysis of spinach biomass showed lower portions of iron in all individual fractions of both sewage sludge treatments compared to control treatments. The largest differences in iron content between control and sludge treatments were determined in ethyl acetate fraction. While majorities of Cd and Zn were found in fractions methanol + H2O and H₂O and methanol + H₂O + HCl, iron content determined in these two fractions was only 7-8% in control treatments and 15-20% in sludge treatments of total iron. In fraction, Fe portion was 87.7-90.7% in treatments without sludge and 76.1-83.5% in sludge treatments in spinach biomass. Results showed tighter iron binding to plant cell membranes in contrast to cadmium and zinc.