Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Rose L. Catiempo Author-Workplace-Name: Division of Postharvest Technology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand Author-Workplace-Name: Postharvest Technology Innovation Center, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand Author-Name: Songsin Photchanachai Author-Workplace-Name: Division of Postharvest Technology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand Author-Workplace-Name: Postharvest Technology Innovation Center, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand Author-Name: Emma Ruth V. Bayogan Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies, College of Science and Mathematics, University of the Philippines Mindanao, Davao City, Philippines Author-Name: Chalermchai Wongs-Aree Author-Workplace-Name: Division of Postharvest Technology, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand Author-Workplace-Name: Postharvest Technology Innovation Center, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, Bangkok, Thailand Title: Impact of hydropriming on germination and seedling establishment of sunflower seeds at elevated temperature Abstract: High temperature is a limiting factor in the seed germination of most crops. This study evaluated the effects of hydropriming at 6, 12 and 18 h on germination performance and seedling establishment of sunflower seeds under high air temperature. Results showed that germination of unprimed seeds was suppressed at an average elevated temperature of 44.3 °C (range of 39.3 °C to 53.3 °C) for eighteen days indicated by an increased lag time to onset of germination and decreased germination percentage. Conversely, priming seeds for 12 h to 18 h increased the germination percentage, time to 50% seedling emergence (T50), germination index and vigour index. Seedlings emerging from primed seeds exhibited uniform 16-day old seedlings (18 days after sowing), leading to greater seedling dry weight and shoot length as compared to unprimed seeds. Conversely, the total chlorophyll content remain unchanged for all seeds. The significant increase in the shoot parameters suggested a positive association with priming and stress tolerance. The priming duration of 12 h to 18 h showed improvement at elevated air temperature through the reduction of ungerminated seeds and increase in seedling growth characteristics. Keywords: Helianthus annuus L., stress factor, heat, high-temperature condition, climate change Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 491-498 Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/163/2021-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/163/2021-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202109-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:67:y:2021:i:9:id:163-2021-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Stanislav Malý Author-Workplace-Name: Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, National Reference Laboratory, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jiří Zbíral Author-Name: Eva Čižmárová Author-Workplace-Name: Central Institute for Supervising and Testing in Agriculture, National Reference Laboratory, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Is Mehlich 3 soil extraction a suitable screening method for determination of some risk elements? Abstract: Legislation limits for risk elements (As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V, Zn) in agricultural soil in the Czech Republic are given for the content of elements extracted by aqua regia. This extraction is time consuming and environmentally unfriendly. The regular soil survey is based on Mehlich 3 universal soil extractant and covers the simultaneous determination of macronutrients, sulphur, and micronutrients by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Our study focused on the possibility to use Mehlich 3 extractant also for preliminary screening for the determination of the risk elements simultaneously with the other elements by the ICP-OES method. Mehlich 3 was confirmed as a reliable screening method for Cd regarding sensitivity, specificity and precision (> 0.8) when the cut-off value of 0.27 mg/kg in Mehlich 3 extracts was used for the prediction of soils to be above or below the legislation limit, which in turn is based on aqua regia extraction. Very good results were obtained for Be and promising results were received for As, Cu and V. But the available data were not sufficient for the determination of reliable cut-off values for Co, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn. Keywords: soil contamination, heavy metals, cut-off values, cadmium, statistical learning Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 499-506 Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/228/2021-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/228/2021-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202109-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:67:y:2021:i:9:id:228-2021-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Radosław Pogłodziński Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Biogeochemistry, University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland Author-Name: Przemysław Barłóg Author-Name: Witold Grzebisz Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agricultural Chemistry and Environmental Biogeochemistry, University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland Title: Effect of nitrogen and magnesium sulfate application on sugar beet yield and quality Abstract: Adequate nutrition of sugar beet with magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) has been assumed to be the key to increase fertiliser nitrogen (N) efficiency. This hypothesis was validated on two soils differing in textural class, i.e., sandy and loamy. The experiment consisted of three factors: (1) in-soil application of Kieserite (0, 24 kg Mg/ha); (2) foliar application of Epsom salt (0.2 kg Mg/ha); (3) N rates (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 and 200 kg N/ha). The following parameters were evaluated: (i) yield of storage roots (TY); (ii) qualitative features of storage roots, and (iii) yield of white sugar (WSY). Both yield characteristics, regardless on soil, were affected to a greater extent by in-soil than foliar MgS application. The highest increments of TY and WSY were obtained in 2016, a year with fewer favourable weather conditions and in soil with a wider Ca:Mg ratio. The greatest effect of Kieserite on TY and WSY was observed under low rates of applied N (up to 80 kg/ha). It can be concluded that the right nutrition of sugar beet with MgS in the early stages of sugar beet growth is the prerequisite of an effective N management on soils rich in mineral N. Keywords: Beta vulgaris L., Mg × N interaction, nitrogen rates, sucrose concentration Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 507-513 Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/336/2021-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/336/2021-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202109-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:67:y:2021:i:9:id:336-2021-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ebrahem M. Eid Author-Workplace-Name: BiologyDepartment, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia Author-Workplace-Name: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt Author-Name: Kamal H. Shaltout Author-Workplace-Name: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt Author-Name: Saad A.M. Alamri Author-Workplace-Name: BiologyDepartment, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia Author-Name: Sulaiman A. Alrumman Author-Workplace-Name: BiologyDepartment, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia Author-Name: Ahmed A. Hussain Author-Workplace-Name: BiologyDepartment, College of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia Author-Name: Nasser Sewelam Author-Workplace-Name: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt Author-Name: Gehad A. Ragab Author-Workplace-Name: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt Title: Sewage sludge enhances tomato growth and improves fruit-yield quality by restoring soil fertility Abstract: Among the various disposal strategies for sewage sludge (SS), soil application is the most suitable. This study was conducted to evaluate soil amendment with SS (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 g/kg) and its impact on soil fertility and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) growth. The SS significantly improved the agromorphological attributes, the number of produced fruits, and the fruit biomass of tomato plants. The 30 g/kg application of SS led to the highest growth rate and fruit yield. Considering the fruits, the best safe enrichment of metal nutrients was recorded at 30 g/kg, with a significant increase in the micronutrient metals Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu, and Fe with 624, 193, 125, 70, and 32%, respectively, compared to the control. The SS amendment enhanced soil fertility, and heavy metals were within the permissible ranges for agricultural soils. Bioaccumulation factors (BFs) indicated that SS application induced the accumulation of most of the studied metals in the roots, and the BF values of Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb were > 1. The current study concluded that recirculating SS nutrient components to agricultural soils could offer a valid solution for the sustainable management of this organic waste and enhance plant-crop productivity. Keywords: environmental pollution, contamination, toxic element, agriculture, organic fertilisers Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 514-523 Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/205/2021-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/205/2021-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202109-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:67:y:2021:i:9:id:205-2021-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Zhongmin Dai Author-Workplace-Name: Dezhou University, Dezhou, Shandong, P.R. China Author-Name: Dongcheng Liu Author-Workplace-Name: Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, Hebei, P.R. China Author-Name: Shengnan Qin Author-Workplace-Name: Dezhou University, Dezhou, Shandong, P.R. China Author-Name: Rugang Wu Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Dezhou, Shandong, P.R. China Author-Name: Yan Li Author-Workplace-Name: Dezhou University, Dezhou, Shandong, P.R. China Author-Name: Juan Liu Author-Workplace-Name: Dezhou University, Dezhou, Shandong, P.R. China Author-Name: Yuangang Zhu Author-Workplace-Name: Dezhou University, Dezhou, Shandong, P.R. China Author-Name: Guangfeng Chen Author-Workplace-Name: Dezhou University, Dezhou, Shandong, P.R. China Title: Effects of irrigation schemes on the components and physicochemical properties of starch in waxy wheat lines Abstract: The waxy wheat shows special starch quality due to low amylose content. However, less information is available concerning the physicochemical properties of starch in different waxy wheat under different irrigation. In this study, two wheat near-isogenic lines (NILs) and a normal wheat cultivar were used to investigate the contents, size distribution and crystallinity of starch by biochemical methods, laser-diffraction and X-ray diffraction analysis. The amylose content in wheat grains was the lowest in waxy wheat lines, SJZ8-N, followed by the partly waxy wheat lines, SJZ8-P, and the highest in the normal wheat, SJZ8, with significant differences among wheat lines. Waxy wheat starch had more B-type granules and a higher degree of crystallinity than normal wheat starch, with the order as SJZ8-N > SJZ8-P > SJZ8. When compared with the conventional and water-saving irrigation, the rainfed treatment showed the lowest starch content, amylose content (except SJZ8-N), amylopectin content and relative crystallinity in the three wheat lines indicating that water deficiency was not benefited starch accumulation and crystal formation in wheat grains. It was concluded that (1) wheat lines not only differed in amylose content but also in size distribution and crystallinity of starch; (2) irrigation markedly influenced the physicochemical characteristics of wheat starch; therefore, the irrigation schemes could be adjusted to achieve high-quality wheat production. Keywords: Triticum aestivum L., endosperm, water deficit, distribution of granule size, polysaccharide Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 524-532 Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/231/2021-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/231/2021-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202109-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:67:y:2021:i:9:id:231-2021-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Senad Murtić Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Author-Name: Ćerima Zahirović Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Author-Name: Hamdija Čivić Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Author-Name: Emina Sijahović Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Author-Name: Josip Jurković Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Author-Name: Jasna Avdić Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Author-Name: Emir Šahinović Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Author-Name: Adnana Podrug Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Title: Phytoaccumulation of heavy metals in native plants growing on soils in the Spreča river valley, Bosnia and Herzegovina Abstract: This study evaluated the phytoremediation potential of eight native plant species on heavy metal polluted soils along the Spreča river valley (the northeast region of Bosnia and Herzegovina). Plants selected for screening were: ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), common nettle (Urtica dioica L.), mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.), wild mint (Mentha arvensis L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), dwarf nettle (Urtica urens L.) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.). All aboveground parts of selected native plants and their associated soil samples were collected and analysed for total concentration of Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu. The bioaccumulation factor for each element was also calculated. The levels of Cr (90.9-171.1 mg/kg) and Ni (80.1-390.5 mg/kg) in the studied soil plots were generally higher than limits prescribed by European standards, indicating that the soils in the Spreča river valley are polluted by Cr and Ni. Among the eight screened plant species, no hyperaccumulators for toxic heavy metals Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb were identified. However, the concentrations of toxic heavy metals in the above-ground parts of Artemisia vulgaris L. and Trifolium repens L. were significantly higher than in the other studied plants, indicating that both plant species are useful for heavy metal removal. Keywords: contamination, environment, floods, soil pollution, toxic elements Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 533-540 Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/253/2021-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/253/2021-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202109-0006.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:67:y:2021:i:9:id:253-2021-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Guanghua Jing Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Soil Resource and Biotech Application, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences; Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Zhikun Chen Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Soil Resource and Biotech Application, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences; Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Qiangqiang Lu Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Soil Resource and Biotech Application, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences; Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Liyan He Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Soil Resource and Biotech Application, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences; Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Ning Zhao Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Soil Resource and Biotech Application, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences; Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Zhao Zhang Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Soil Resource and Biotech Application, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences; Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Wei Li Author-Workplace-Name: State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conversion, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Title: Effects of nitrogen addition on root traits and soil nitrogen in the long-term restored grasslands Abstract: Fine root traits are plastic and responsive to increased nitrogen (N) deposition. However, with the restoring of the ecosystem after grain for green, little research has been reported about the response of root traits in a long-term restored ecosystem to increased N deposition. Therefore, a successive N addition experiment was conducted in a long-term restored grassland on the Loess Plateau to analyse the effects of different N addition levels (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 g N/m2/year) on root morphological traits, soil carbon (C) and N. Our results showed that root morphological traits (except for root diameter) firstly increased and then declined, with the maximum in the N level of 5 g/m2/year. N addition significantly increased soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N) with the increasing N addition level, especially in the soil surface layer. Specific root length and specific root area had remarkable negative correlations with NO3--N, while root diameter and root length density had positive correlations with soil availability N and soil microbial biomass carbon. This study indicated that plants could have the threshold response to adapt to the N addition and prefer to slowly grow rather than quickly invest and return in order to adapt to the environmental stress. Keywords: macronutrient, nitrogen cycle, growth strategy, nitrification, available nitrogen Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 541-547 Volume: 67 Issue: 9 Year: 2021 DOI: 10.17221/142/2021-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/142/2021-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202109-0007.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:67:y:2021:i:9:id:142-2021-PSE