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15 pages, 828 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Legumes as a Pre-Crop on Nitrogen Nutrition and Yield in Organic Greenhouse Tomato

by Anastasios Gatsios, Georgia Ntatsi, Luisella Celi, Daniel Said-Pullicino, Anastasia Tampakaki and Dimitrios Savvas

Plants 2021, 10(3), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030468 - 02 Mar 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2238

Abstract

An organic greenhouse crop of tomato was established in February following cultivation of cowpea (CP) or common bean (CB) for green pod production, or faba bean (FB) for green manuring. The vegetative residues of CP and CB were incorporated to the soil together [...] Read more.

An organic greenhouse crop of tomato was established in February following cultivation of cowpea (CP) or common bean (CB) for green pod production, or faba bean (FB) for green manuring. The vegetative residues of CP and CB were incorporated to the soil together with farmyard manure (FYM), prior to establishing the tomato crop. The FB plants were incorporated to the soil at anthesis together with either FYM or composted olive-mill waste (CO). Green manuring with FB resulted in higher soil mineral N levels during the subsequent tomato crop and higher tomato fruit yield when combined with FYM, compared to compost. The level of soil mineral N was the main restrictive factor for yield in organic greenhouse tomato. FB for green manuring as preceding crop to tomato increased significantly the level of soil mineral N and tomato yield compared to CB or CP aiming to produce green pods. The lowest tomato yield was obtained when the preceding crop was CB cultivated for green pod production. The soil mineral N was significantly higher when FYM was applied as base dressing compared with CO, despite the higher total N concentration in CO, pointing to slower mineralization rates of CO during tomato cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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14 pages, 1001 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Wheat Grain Protein Content under Mediterranean Conditions Measured with Chlorophyll Meter

by Marta Aranguren, Ander Castellón and Ana Aizpurua

Plants 2021, 10(2), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020374 - 15 Feb 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1993

Abstract

Adequate N fertilisation is crucial to increase the grain protein content (GPC) values in wheat. The recommended level of GPC needed to achieve high-quality bread-making flour should be higher than 12.5%. However, it is difficult to ensure the GPC values that the crop [...] Read more.

Adequate N fertilisation is crucial to increase the grain protein content (GPC) values in wheat. The recommended level of GPC needed to achieve high-quality bread-making flour should be higher than 12.5%. However, it is difficult to ensure the GPC values that the crop will achieve because N in grain is derived from two different sources: N remobilized into the grain from N accumulated in the pre-anthesis period, and N absorbed from the soil in the post-anthesis period. This study aimed to (i) evaluate the effect of the application of N on the rate of stem elongation (GS30) when farmyard manures are applied as initial fertilisers on GPC and on the chlorophyll meter (CM) values at mid-anthesis (GS65), (ii) establish a relationship between the CM values at GS65 and GPC, and (iii) determine a minimum CM value at GS65 to obtain GPC values above 12.5%. Three field trials were performed in three consecutive growing seasons, and different N fertilisation doses were applied. Readings using the CM Yara N-Tester^TM were taken at GS65. The type of initial fertiliser did not affect the GPC and CM values. Generally, the greater the N application at GS30 is, the higher the GPC and CM values are. CM values can help to estimate GPC values only when yields are below 8000 kg ha⁻¹. Additionally, CM values at GS65 should be higher than 700 to achieve high-quality bread-making flour (12.5%) at such yield levels. These results will allow farmers and cooperatives to make better decisions regarding late-nitrogen fertilisation and wheat sales. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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10 pages, 906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Significant Accumulation of Iodine and Selenium in Chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum Hegi) Leaves after Foliar Spraying

by Mateja Germ, Nina Kacjan-Maršić, Ana Kroflič, Ana Jerše, Vekoslava Stibilj and Aleksandra Golob

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1766; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9121766 - 13 Dec 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2042

Abstract

The interactions between the uptake of selenium (as selenite and selenate) and iodine (as iodate and iodide) by red chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum Hegi) and their effects on selected morphological and physiological characteristics were investigated. Seedlings were transplanted to the [...] Read more.

The interactions between the uptake of selenium (as selenite and selenate) and iodine (as iodate and iodide) by red chicory (Cichorium intybus L. var. foliosum Hegi) and their effects on selected morphological and physiological characteristics were investigated. Seedlings were transplanted to the field, and at the onset of head formation, the plants were foliar-sprayed with the following solutions: Milli-Q water (control), Se (IV), Se (VI), I (−I), I (V), Se (IV) + I (−I), Se (IV) + I (V), Se (VI) + I (−I) and Se (VI) + I (V). The different treatments had no significant effects on the yield (39.8–51.5 t ha⁻¹) and mass (970–1200 g) of the chicory heads. The selenium content in Se-treated plants was up to 5.5-times greater than the control plants. The iodine content in the chicory leaves enriched with I was 3.5-times greater than the control plants. Iodide or iodate, applied together with selenite in the spray solution, increased the uptake of Se by chicory plants, while both forms of iodine, applied together with selenate, reduced the uptake of Se. Plants treated with I (V) had lower amounts of chlorophyll a and carotenoids than the control, while respiratory potential was higher than the control, which indicated the possible presence of stress in I (V)-treated plants. However, the potential photochemical efficiency of photosystem II was similar and close to the theoretical maximum (0.83) in the control and treated groups, which indicated that all of the plants were in good condition. Furthermore, the plant mass and yield were comparable in the control and treated groups. Molecular studies, like gene expression analysis, would represent a major upgrade of the present study by defining the mechanisms of Se and I uptake and their interactions and by enhancing the knowledge of the Se and I transporters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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10 pages, 799 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Live Imaging of Phosphate Levels in Arabidopsis Root Cells Expressing a FRET-Based Phosphate Sensor

by Ana G. L. Assunção, Sisse K. Gjetting, Michael Hansen, Anja T. Fuglsang and Alexander Schulz

Plants 2020, 9(10), 1310; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101310 - 03 Oct 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3345

Abstract

Phosphorous (P) is an essential macronutrient in all organisms serving various fundamental biological processes, and is one of the least available plant nutrients in the soil. The application of inorganic phosphate (Pi) fertilizers is frequent, but it has a high environmental and financial [...] Read more.

Phosphorous (P) is an essential macronutrient in all organisms serving various fundamental biological processes, and is one of the least available plant nutrients in the soil. The application of inorganic phosphate (Pi) fertilizers is frequent, but it has a high environmental and financial cost. Breeding crops for improved Pi use-efficiency is a promising plant-based solution to pursue a reduction of fertilizer dependency. Availability of tools for monitoring changes of plant cellular Pi concentration in real-time can contribute to advancing knowledge on the molecular basis of Pi transport and homeostasis in plants. Genetically encoded fluorescent sensors have provided new insight on cellular processes. Here, we show that two Pi Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-based sensors from the FLIPPi family, the low-affinity FLIPPi-30m and the high-affinity FLIPPi-4µ, can be expressed and analyzed in Arabidopsis thaliana with wild-type background. These FLIPPi sensors had not been tested in plants, but only in mammalian cell lines. We show FRET response and live imaging of Pi levels in seedling roots of Arabidopsis FLIPPi-30m and FLIPPi-4µ lines. Our results reinforce that sensors from the FLIPPi family are valuable tools for studying mechanisms of Pi transport and homeostasis in plants, and for research towards a more sustainable use of Pi fertilization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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15 pages, 2183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Organic Matter Degradation in Long-Term Maize Cultivation and Insufficient Organic Fertilization

by Jiří Balík, Martin Kulhánek, Jindřich Černý, Ondřej Sedlář and Pavel Suran

Plants 2020, 9(9), 1217; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091217 - 17 Sep 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2706

Abstract

Soil organic matter carbon (C_SOM) compounds degradation was observed in long-term field experiments with silage maize monoculture. Over a period of 26 years, the content of carbon in topsoil decreased by 22% in control unfertilized plots compared to 25% and 26% [...] Read more.

Soil organic matter carbon (C_SOM) compounds degradation was observed in long-term field experiments with silage maize monoculture. Over a period of 26 years, the content of carbon in topsoil decreased by 22% in control unfertilized plots compared to 25% and 26% in treatments fertilized annually with mineral nitrogen. With annual wheat straw application (together with mineral N), the content of C_SOM decreased by 8%. Contrary to that, the annual application of farmyard manure resulted in a C_SOM increase of 16%. The ratio of carbon produced by maize related to total topsoil C_SOM content ranged between 8.1–11.8%. In plots with mineral N fertilization, this ratio was always higher than in the unfertilized control plots. With the weaker soil extraction agent (CaCl₂), the ratio of carbon produced by maize was determined to be 17.9–20.7%. With stronger extraction agent (pyrophosphate) it was only 10.2–14.6%. This shows that maize produced mostly unstable carbon compounds. Mineral N application resulted in stronger mineralization of original and stable organic matter compared to the unfertilized control. However, the increase of maize-produced carbon content in fertilized plots did not compensate for the decrease of “old” organic matter. As a result, a tendency to decrease total C_SOM content in plots with mineral N applied was observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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9 pages, 1623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Anti-Osteoporotic Effects of the Herbal Mixture of Cornus officinalis and Achyranthes japonica In Vitro and In Vivo

by Eunkuk Park, Chang Gun Lee, Jeonghyun Kim, Eunguk Lim, Seokjin Hwang, Seung Hee Yun, Yoonjoong Yong, Hyesoo Jeong, Ji Ae Kim, Hyun-Seok Jin and Seon-Yong Jeong

Plants 2020, 9(9), 1114; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9091114 - 28 Aug 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2725

Abstract

Osteoporosis is a porous bone disease caused by bone density loss, which increases the risk of fractures. Cornus officinalis (CO) and Achyranthes japonica (AJ) have been used as traditional herbal medicine for various disorders in East Asia. Although the anti-osteoporotic effects of single [...] Read more.

Osteoporosis is a porous bone disease caused by bone density loss, which increases the risk of fractures. Cornus officinalis (CO) and Achyranthes japonica (AJ) have been used as traditional herbal medicine for various disorders in East Asia. Although the anti-osteoporotic effects of single extract of CO and AJ have already been reported, the synergistic effect of a combined mixture has not been studied. In this study, we investigated the effects of a CO and AJ herbal mixture on osteoporosis in in vitro and in vivo models. The results demonstrate that treatment with the CO and AJ mixture significantly promoted osteoblast differentiation of MC3T3-E1 mouse preosteoblasts through the upregulation of osteoblastic differentiation-associated genes such as alkaline phosphatase (Alpl), runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and bone gamma-carboxyglutamic acid-containing protein (Bglap), while the mixture significantly inhibited differentiation of osteoclasts isolated from primary-cultured mouse monocytes. In addition, oral administration of CO and AJ mixture significantly prevented bone mineral density loss and trabecular bone structures in an ovariectomy-induced osteoporotic mouse model. These results suggest that the combination treatment of CO and AJ mixture might be a beneficial therapy for osteoporosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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13 pages, 1413 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physiological Behavior of the Aquatic Plant Azolla sp. in Response to Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers

by Ehab Azab and Abdel-fatah Salah Soror

Plants 2020, 9(7), 924; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9070924 - 21 Jul 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4254

Abstract

The present investigation aims to evaluate the impacts of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the water parameters and physiological behaviors of an aquatic plant (Azolla sp.). The experiment used three groups: treatment with organic or inorganic fertilizer and a group with [...] Read more.

The present investigation aims to evaluate the impacts of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the water parameters and physiological behaviors of an aquatic plant (Azolla sp.). The experiment used three groups: treatment with organic or inorganic fertilizer and a group with no fertilization as a control. Azolla sp. were grown in cement ponds that received different treatments. For water analysis, the obtained results clarified that fertilization resulted in no variation in the temperature or total hardness among different treatments. Organic fertilizer increased the dissolved phosphorus content, total hardness, and bicarbonate alkalinity, as well as the total phosphorus content, whereas inorganic treatment increased the pH, total ammonia content, and total nitrogen content. Regarding the biochemical composition of Azolla sp., the chlorophyll content showed no variation among different treatment groups, while organic matter showed high variation among different treatment groups. The highest values for ash and fat content were recorded in control ponds. The highest protein content was found in organic treatment ponds. The addition of fertilizers led to an increase in the tissue contents of N and P compared to the control. This increase was highest when Azolla sp. was fertilized with organic fertilizer. The atomic N:P ratio was low in tissues subjected to either treatment compared with the control. The doubling time of Azolla sp. was decreased by fertilization. It is concluded that different fertilizer systems have significant effect on physico-chemical and biological parameters of water. Fertilization positively affects Azolla sp. growth. Organic fertilizer was more efficient for the growth of Azolla sp., so it can be considered as a source of biofertilizer and green manure in areas where it spreads. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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10 pages, 588 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Interactive Effects of the Potassium and Nitrogen Relationship on Yield and Quality of Strawberry Grown Under Soilless Conditions

by Pablo Preciado-Rangel, Enrique Troyo-Diéguez, Luis Alonso Valdez-Aguilar, José Luis García-Hernández and José Guadalupe Luna-Ortega

Plants 2020, 9(4), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9040441 - 02 Apr 2020

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3940

Abstract

K and N are the nutrients with the highest influence on yield and fruit quality. From this perspective, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of N as NO₃⁻, K⁺ and their interactions on the yield [...] Read more.

K and N are the nutrients with the highest influence on yield and fruit quality. From this perspective, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of N as NO₃⁻, K⁺ and their interactions on the yield and quality of strawberries grown under soilless conditions. A solution comprised of micronutrients based on an amended Steiner’s Universal Nutrient Solution was mixed with 4 levels of K⁺ (5, 7, 9 and 11 mol m⁻³) and 3 levels of NO₃⁻ (9, 12, and 15 mol m⁻³) to obtain 12 treatments. The results suggest that 15 mol m⁻³ of NO₃⁻ in the nutrient solution produced the highest yield, but fruit with low nutraceutical quality. On the other hand, 11 mol m⁻³ of K⁺ in the nutrient solution produced the highest yield and fruit with the best nutraceutical quality. The ionic concentration of the Universal Steiner’s Nutrient Solution proved to be the best nutritional option to maximize the yield and nutraceutical quality of strawberry fruit. The increase in NO₃⁻ concentration in the nutrient solution produced a higher yield of strawberries, while a higher concentration of K⁺ improved fruit quality, thus reaffirming the significance of nutrients within the plant functioning of this crop. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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Review

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27 pages, 1349 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Nano-Fertilization as an Emerging Fertilization Technique: Why Can Modern Agriculture Benefit from Its Use?

by Mahmoud F. Seleiman, Khalid F. Almutairi, Majed Alotaibi, Ashwag Shami, Bushra Ahmed Alhammad and Martin Leonardo Battaglia

Plants 2021, 10(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10010002 - 22 Dec 2020

Cited by 238 | Viewed by 10179

Abstract

There is a need for a more innovative fertilizer approach that can increase the productivity of agricultural systems and be more environmentally friendly than synthetic fertilizers. In this article, we reviewed the recent development and potential benefits derived from the use of nanofertilizers [...] Read more.

There is a need for a more innovative fertilizer approach that can increase the productivity of agricultural systems and be more environmentally friendly than synthetic fertilizers. In this article, we reviewed the recent development and potential benefits derived from the use of nanofertilizers (NFs) in modern agriculture. NFs have the potential to promote sustainable agriculture and increase overall crop productivity, mainly by increasing the nutrient use efficiency (NUE) of field and greenhouse crops. NFs can release their nutrients at a slow and steady pace, either when applied alone or in combination with synthetic or organic fertilizers. They can release their nutrients in 40–50 days, while synthetic fertilizers do the same in 4–10 days. Moreover, NFs can increase the tolerance of plants against biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, the advantages of NFs over synthetic fertilizers, as well as the different types of macro and micro NFs, are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the application of NFs in smart sustainable agriculture and the role of NFs in the mitigation of biotic and abiotic stress on plants is presented. Though NF applications may have many benefits for sustainable agriculture, there are some concerns related to the release of nanoparticles (NPs) from NFs into the environment, with the subsequent detrimental effects that this could have on both human and animal health. Future research should explore green synthesized and biosynthesized NFs, their safe use, bioavailability, and toxicity concerns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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12 pages, 922 KiB

Open AccessReview

Light-Independent Nitrogen Assimilation in Plant Leaves: Nitrate Incorporation into Glutamine, Glutamate, Aspartate, and Asparagine Traced by ¹⁵N

by Tadakatsu Yoneyama and Akira Suzuki

Plants 2020, 9(10), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants9101303 - 02 Oct 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4072

Abstract

Although the nitrate assimilation into amino acids in photosynthetic leaf tissues is active under the light, the studies during 1950s and 1970s in the dark nitrate assimilation provided fragmental and variable activities, and the mechanism of reductant supply to nitrate assimilation in darkness [...] Read more.

Although the nitrate assimilation into amino acids in photosynthetic leaf tissues is active under the light, the studies during 1950s and 1970s in the dark nitrate assimilation provided fragmental and variable activities, and the mechanism of reductant supply to nitrate assimilation in darkness remained unclear. ¹⁵N tracing experiments unraveled the assimilatory mechanism of nitrogen from nitrate into amino acids in the light and in darkness by the reactions of nitrate and nitrite reductases, glutamine synthetase, glutamate synthase, aspartate aminotransferase, and asparagine synthetase. Nitrogen assimilation in illuminated leaves and non-photosynthetic roots occurs either in the redundant way or in the specific manner regarding the isoforms of nitrogen assimilatory enzymes in their cellular compartments. The electron supplying systems necessary to the enzymatic reactions share in part a similar electron donor system at the expense of carbohydrates in both leaves and roots, but also distinct reducing systems regarding the reactions of Fd-nitrite reductase and Fd-glutamate synthase in the photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic organs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Nutrition)

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