DNA Barcoding and Fertilization Strategies in Sideritis syriaca subsp. syriaca, a Local Endemic Plant of Crete with High Medicinal Value.

Herein, we applied DNA barcoding for the genetic characterization of Sideritis syriaca subsp. syriaca (Lamiaceae; threatened local Cretan endemic plant) using seven molecular markers of cpDNA. Five fertilization schemes were evaluated comparatively in a pilot cultivation in Crete. Conventional inorganic fertilizers (ChFs), integrated nutrient management (INM) fertilizers, and two biostimulants were utilized (foliar and soil application). Plant growth, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, and color were assessed and leaf content of chlorophyll, key antioxidants (carotenoids, flavonoids, phenols), and nutrients were evaluated. Fertilization schemes induced distinct differences in leaf shape, altering quality characteristics. INM-foliar and ChF-soil application promoted yield, without affecting tissue water content or biomass partitioning to inflorescences. ChF-foliar application was the most stimulatory treatment when the primary target was enhanced antioxidant contents while INM-biostimulant was the least effective one. However, when the primary target is yield, INM, especially by foliar application, and ChF, by soil application, ought to be employed. New DNA sequence datasets for the plastid regions of petB/petD, rpoC1, psbK-psbI, and atpF/atpH were deposited in the GenBank for S. syriaca subsp. syriaca while the molecular markers rbcL, trnL/trnF, and psbA/trnH were compared to those of another 15 Sideritis species retrieved from the GenBank, constructing a phylogenetic tree to show their genetic relatedness.

Effects of olive mill wastewater on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling.

This study investigated the cycling of C and N following application of olive mill wastewater (OMW) at various rates (0, 42, 84, and 168 m(3)/ha). OMW stimulated respiration rate throughout the study period, but an increase in soil organic matter was observed only at the highest rate. Soil phenol content decreased rapidly within 2 weeks following application but neither phenol oxidase and peroxidase activity nor laccase gene copies could explain this response. Soil NH4 (+)-N content increased in response to OMW application rate, while an opposite trend observed for NO3 (-)-N, which attributed to immobilization. This decrease was in accordance with amoA gene copies of archaeal and bacterial ammonia oxidizers in the first days following OMW application. Afterwards, although amoA gene copies and potential nitrification rates recovered to values similar to or higher than those in the non-treated soils, NO3 (-)-N content did not change among the treatments. A corresponding increase in denitrifying gene copies (nirK, nirS, nosZ) during that period indicates that denitrification, stimulated by OMW application rate, was responsible for this effect; a hypothesis consistent with the decrease in total Kjeldahl nitrogen content late in the season. The findings suggest that land application of OMW is a promising practice for OMW management, even at rates approaching the soil water holding capacity.