Search Results (2)

Increasing environmental pollution causes the search for new methods of purification. Currently, the remediation potential of nanoparticles is increasingly being studied. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of data on the impact of these compounds on living organisms, including plants. This study was designed to test the effects of nanoFER 25 and nanoFER 25S iron on Lolium westerwoldicum Breakw. After cultivation of plants in a soil contaminated with nanoparticles, the biometric parameters, content of polyphenols, flavonoids, chlorophyll changes, carotenoids, anthocyanins, superoxide dismutase, catalase and pyrogallol peroxidase were studied. The conducted experiment showed that nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) is slightly taken from the soil to the plants. The iron passes to the root but there is no further transport up the plant. The content of polyphenols and flavonoids in aboveground parts of plants decreases with a simultaneous increase in roots compared to the control sample. The chlorophyll content in the leaves is strongly related to the concentration of the contaminant. Similarly, the enzyme activity of the antioxidant system in the whole plant is strongly related to the concentration of the pollutant. The amount of vegetable pigments in the leaves increases for low concentrations of contamination and then decreases at higher levels of contamination. The study has shown that both types of nanoFER are not indifferent to the plants’ growth. Full article

The objective of this research was to determine the effect of straw and biochar amendment on the root system morphology and aboveground biomass of a red clover/grass mixture (Lolium. perenne L., Phleum pratense L., Festuca pratensis Huds., F. arundinacea Schreb., L. multiflorum L., L. westerwoldicum Breakw., Trifolium pratense L.). A grassland experiment was conducted from 2014 to 2018. Straw was collected from miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and biochar was produced from the biomass of those species. The following treatments were applied: wheat straw at a rate of 5 t ha⁻¹ (WS), miscanthus straw at a rate of 5 t ha⁻¹ (MS), wheat biochar at a rate of 5 t ha⁻¹ (WBH), wheat biochar at a rate of 2.25 t ha⁻¹ (WBL), miscanthus biochar at a rate of 5 t ha⁻¹ (MBH), and miscanthus biochar at a rate of 2.25 t ha⁻¹ (MBL). A treatment with mineral fertilizer but without organic amendments (MCTR) was used, and a control treatment (CTR) without mineral fertilizer and without any amendments was also tested. The botanical composition and the aboveground yields were determined. The roots were sampled in 2018, and the root morphology parameters were determined using an image analysis system. The applied soil amendments resulted in increased root lengths, surface areas, volumes, and mean root diameters. There were no differences between the treatments with different feedstock types (miscanthus vs. wheat), materials (straw vs. biochar), or amendment rates (5 vs. 2.25 t ha⁻¹). The resulting root system characteristics were reflected in the aboveground biomass productivity. The soil amendments, i.e., the straw and biochar, significantly increased the productivity in comparison to that of the control treatment. However, these differences were noticed only during the first and second cuts. Recommended practice in grassland management is to improve soil with straw. The conversion of straw into biochar does not provide a better effect on grassland productivity. Full article