NaCl-induced effects on photosynthesis, ion relations, and growth of Chloris gayana Kunth in the presence of two levels of KCl.

Soil salinization is a widespread environmental problem that impacts agriculture. Potassium fertilization is often associated with stress mitigation. Aiming to identify the ability of Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth) to cope with high salt as well as to investigate the potential of K+ fertilization to alleviate stress symptoms, we investigated the combined effects of NaCl and KCl on photosynthesis, ion distribution, and growth of two Rhodes grass cultivars, Callide and Reclaimer. Plants were grown under different regimes (0, 200, 400, and 600 mM NaCl + 1 or 10 mM KCl). For Reclaimer, 10 mM KCl induced positive effects in photochemistry under 0 and 200 mM NaCl, as illustrated by fluorescence transients OJIP-bands and JIP-test parameters. However, such improvements did not lead to superior biomass accumulation nor net photosynthesis compared to the corresponding treatments under 1 mM KCl, which may not justify KCl application. In Callide 10 mM KCl induced deleterious effects on photochemistry of plants under low NaCl levels. High salinity (600 mM) induced stress-triggered biomass reduction of up to 70% in both cultivars, but all plants remained photosynthetically active. Exposure of both cultivars to NaCl concentrations equal to or higher than 200 mM triggered response mechanisms such as the ability to accumulate inorganic solutes accounting to osmotic potential, stomata closure, and excretion (up to 70%) of the retained Na+ onto the leaf surface irrespective of KCl. Our data reinforce that Rhodes grass is an auspicious forage crop for saline environments and, therefore, in revegetation programs for saline soils pasture in subtropical regions.

Physiological and molecular responses of Setaria viridis to osmotic stress.

Drought-tolerant species, such as Setaria viridis, a C4 model plant, make physiological and biochemical adjustments water limitation and recover from the stress upon its release. We investigated S. viridis (A10.1 accession) responses to continuing osmotic stress. The osmotic stress was imposed using polyethylene glycol (PEG) 8000 (7.5%) for 10 days. Morphological traits and stomatal conductance were measured daily for the 10 days. On days 6 and 10, the following traits were measured separately for root and shoot: relative water content (RWC), osmotic potential (OP), electrolytic leakage (EL), and proline content. qPCR analysis was used to evaluate the expression of five selected genes in roots (SvLEA, SvDREB1C, SvPIP2-1, SvHSP20, and SvP5CS2), and chlorophyll a fluorescence was measured on three key days. The morphological data demonstrated a drastic reduction in shoot biomass as an effect of water deficit caused by the osmotic stress. Shoot biomass reduction could be associated with putative ABA-dependent signaling involved in SvDREB1C expression. Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis were severely affected up until day 6, however, stomatal conductance and some photosynthetic parameters such as FV/FM, ABS/RC, and DI0/RC showed total or slight recovery on day 10. Root EL decreased in treated plants suggesting an investment in membrane protection by osmoregulator expression such as dehydrin (SvLEA) and proline (SvP5CS2) genes. Our data suggest that S. viridis exhibited a partial recovery from an imposed and constant osmotic stress within 10 days.

Treated produced water in irrigation: Effects on soil fauna and aquatic organisms.

Produced water (PW) is a mixture of formation water and injected water from oil and gas reservoirs, which contain a complex composition of dissolved and particulate organic and inorganic chemicals. High quantities of PW are extracted with the oil, which can be discharged into the environment, re-injected into the wells or treated for reuse. The present study aimed to evaluate the soil ecotoxicity under an irrigation system using treated PW (water-oil separation, sand filter, activated charcoal filter, reverse osmosis) for sunflower production, predicting conditions for PW reuse in the semi-arid region of Brazil. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using natural soil in vessels. Water from public water supply was used as control. Soil samples from two production cycles of sunflowers were assessed using ecotoxicity tests with soil invertebrate's species representing macro and mesofaunal groups: Eisenia andrei (earthworms), Folsomia candida (collembolans) and Enchytraeus crypticus (enchytraeids). Leachates samples were evaluated with aquatic ecotoxicity tests to assess the soil retention function. Results showed impact of irrigation with PW in all treatments except reverse osmosis. Significant negative correlations were found among reproduction of soil invertebrates, high Na+ concentrations and electrical conductivity. The effects of other contaminants not analyses should not be discarded. It is important to highlight that salinity is not usually included in target values of soil quality. This study reinforces the importance of ecotoxicity tests in predictive and retrospective risk assessment, joining effects of contaminant mixtures or even that contaminants not considered in chemical scope of analysis or legislation.

Irrigação no cultivo orgânico de alface utilizando Irrigás, tanque Classe A e um sistema automático de baixo custo / Irrigation with Irrigás, Class A pan and an low cost controller in the organic cultivation of lettuce

O presente estudo teve como objetivo comparar um sistema automático de baixo custo a outras duas técnicas de manejo (sistema Irrigás e tanque classe A) na cultura da alface (Lactuca sativa L.) com relação à operacionalidade dos sistemas, custo dos equipamentos, lâminas aplicadas e dados de produção da cultura. O cultivo foi desenvolvido num delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos casualizados em seis blocos. Os tratamentos foram caracterizados pelo sistema Irrigás, tanque Classe A (TCA) e pelo uso de um acionador automático de baixo custo para irrigação (AAI), em duas tensões de água no solo (9,0kPa e 12,0kPa). Foram avaliados dados de lâmina aplicada, eficiência no uso da água e as variáveis de produção, área foliar, massa fresca e seca da parte aérea, diâmetro e altura da cabeça. Não houve diferença significativa entre os tratamentos para nenhuma das variáveis de produção avaliadas(P>0,05) e as lâminas totais referentes aos diferentes métodos de manejo foram próximas à evapotranspiração de referência (ETo) acumulada no período. A eficiência no uso da água nos tratamentos TCA, AAI/9kPa, Irrigás, AAI/12kPa foi, respectivamente, 241,4; 217,9; 205,5 e 267,1kg ha-1 mm-1, enquanto as produtividades foram respectivamente, 32,80; 28,86; 28,80 e 35,45Mg ha-1. Os resultados obtidos são próximos de valores reportados na literatura, permitindo concluir que as metodologias de manejo avaliadas foram eficientes para o cultivo de alface, e que, dessa forma, a escolha do método dependerá da disponibilidade de mão-de-obra e também do nível de treinamento do agricultor.

The objective of the present research was to compare an low cost controller with two other techniques of irrigation management, Irrigas system and Class A pan, in the cultive of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.),concerning operability of systems, equipment costs, applied depths and crop yield data. The cultivation was developed in a randomized complete blocks design with four treatments randomized in six replicates. The treatments were characterized by the system Irrigás, Class A pan (TCA) and the use of automatic irrigation of low cost device (AAI) in two different soil water tensions (9.0kPa and 12.0kPa). Data of irrigation depth, water use efficiency and production variables leaf area, fresh and dry weight of shoots, diameter and height of the head were evaluated. There wasn't significant difference between treatments for any of the production variables evaluated (P>0.05) and total irrigation depths were related to different management practices and close to the evapotranspiration estimated reference (ETo) accumulated in the period. The water use efficiency in treatments TCA, AAI/9kPa, Irrigás, AAI/12kPa were, respectively, 241.4, 217.9, 205.5 and 267.1kg ha-1 mm-1, while the productivities were, respectively, 32.80, 28.86, 28.80 and 35.45Mg ha-1. The results obtained are close to values reported in the literature, allowing to conclude that the evaluated methodologies were efficient for growing lettuce and thus the method chosen would depend on the availability of skilled manpower and also of the level of farmer training.

The influence of nitrogen supply on antioxidant enzymes in plant roots.

Plants of Zea mays L., Hordeum vulgare L. and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. were grown at different concentrations of nitrogen, as NH4NO3, and the antioxidant enzyme activities and quantities in the roots, were studied. Maize plants were grown at 1 and 10 mM N for 32 d after germination and their roots were analysed by native PAGE for the isoenzymic profiles of glutathione reductase (GR; EC 1.6.4.2), catalase (CAT; EC 1.11.1.6) and superoxide dismutase (SOD; EC 1.15.1.1) and by spectrophotometric assays for total activity of CAT and GR. Barley and A. thaliana plants were grown at five N concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1, 10 and 20 mM) for 27 and 26 d, respectively, and the isoenzymic profile of the three enzymes were analysed in their roots. The number of GR isoforms in the three plant species was increased at high N supply compared with low N. In addition, the CAT and GR activities detected in the roots were increased in plants grown at higher N. The increase in activity and number of bands of GR at high N in the roots of all three plants studied was not accompanied by a change in activity or the number of SOD isoforms. The possibility that the application of high N promotes the formation of reactive oxygen species by stimulating an increased rate of growth is discussed.