Carryover effect of fomesafen, applied on edible bean, on sucessional maize

Carryove reffects of fomesafen on successional maize were studied in clay soil. Fomesafen was applied as postemergence at Five rate s (0; 0.12 5: 0.25 ; 0.37 5, and 0.5 kg/ha-1) to edible beans. Maize was planted 198 and 65 days after fomesafen application in 1992 and 212 and 65 days after fomesafen application in 1993. Fomesafen residues were detected in soils up to 20cm depth but residue concentration was higher in 0-10 cm soil depth. Fomesafen residues reduced leaf chlrophyll content and root volume of 10 days old maize when planted 65 days after application but were not affected when planted 212 days after application. However, the decreases in leaf chlorophyll and root volume did not affect the maize yield.

Levantamento fitossociológico das comunidades de plantas infestantes em áreas de produção de arroz irrigado cultivado sob diferentes sistemas de manejo

O presente trabalho de pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar a composição florística de comunidades de plantas daninhas presentes em áreas agrícolas de várzea, manejadas em diferentes sistemas. O trabalho foi desenvolvido em áreas de produção de arroz irrigado das cooperativas: Cooperativas Mista Rural Vale do Javaés e Cooperativa Agroindustrial Rio Formoso, em Formoso do Araguaia-TO. Foram separadas três áreas de 1 ha, sendo: 1 - área sem rotação de culturas (arroz/pousio) há mais de cinco anos; 2 - área com rotação de culturas (arroz/soja) há mais de cinco anos; 3 - área com rotação de culturas (arroz/melancia) há mais de dois anos. Para caracterização e estudo fitossociológico da comunidade infestante foi utilizado, como unidade amostral, um quadro (1,0 x 1,0 m), lançado aleatoriamente dentro da área de estudo (método do quadrado inventário), por meio de um caminhamento em ziguezague. Na área sem rotação, foram identificadas 8 famílias e 16 espécies, destacando-se a família Poaceae com maior número espécies; Fimbristylis miliacea (Cyperaceae) foi a espécie com o maior índice de importância relativa (84,46%). Na área com rotação arroz/soja, foram identificadas 8 famílias e 12 espécies, destacando-se as famílias Poaceae e Cyperaceae com maior número espécies; Cyperus esculentus (Cyperaceae) foi a espécie com o maior índice de importância relativa (91,4%). Na área com rotação arroz/melancia foram identificadas seis famílias e oito espécies, destacando-se as famílias Euphorbiaceae e Lamiaceae com maior número espécies; Physalis angulata (Solanaceae) foi a espécie com o maior índice de importância relativa (153,1%), seguida por Eclipta alba (Compositae) e Hyptis lophanta (Lamiaceae), com 40,45 e 37,6%, respectivamente.

Effect of crop residues applied isolated or in combination on the germination and seedling growth of horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum)

Soil incorporation of crop residues can lead to weed suppression by posing allelopathic and physical effects. Allelopathic potential of the crops sorghum, sunflower, brassica applied as sole or in combination for horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum) suppression was evaluated in a pot investigation. Chopped crop residues alone and in combination were incorporated at 6 g kg-1 soil (12 t ha-1), and a weedy check was maintained. Germination traits time to start germination; time to 50% emergence, mean emergence time, emergence index and final germination percentage were negatively influenced by residue incorporation. Crop residues also exerted a pronounced negative influence on the shoot and root length of horse purslane. Significant suppression in leaf and root score and leaf area per plant was also observed. A combination of sorghum and sunflower residues accounted for maximum (71%) seedling mortality. Soil incorporation of allelopathic crop residues can be employed for horse purslane management.

Integration of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) residues with a pre-plant herbicide enhances weed suppression in broad bean (Vicia faba)

Field trial was conducted with the aim of utilizing allelopathic crop residues to reduce the use of synthetic herbicides in broad bean (Vicia faba) fields. Sunflower residue at 600 and 1,400 g m-2 and Treflan (trifluralin) at 50, 75 and 100% of recommended dose were incorporated into the soil alone or in combination with each other. Untreated plots were maintained as a control. Herbicide application in plots amended with sunflower residue had the least total weed count and biomass, which was even better than herbicide used alone. Integration of recommended dose of Treflan with sunflower residue at 1,400 g m-² produced maximum (987.5 g m-2) aboveground biomass of broad bean, which was 74 and 36% higher than control and recommended herbicide dose applied alone, respectively. Combination of herbicide and sunflower residue appeared to better enhance pod number and yield per unit area than herbicide alone. Application of 50% dose of Treflan in plots amended with sunflower residue resulted in similar yield advantage as was noticed with 100% herbicide dose. Chromatographic analysis of residue-infested field soil indicated the presence of several phytotoxic compounds of phenolic nature. Periodic data revealed that maximum suppression in weed density and dry weight synchronized with peak values of phytotoxins observed 4 weeks after incorporation of sunflower residues. Integration of sunflower residues with lower herbicide rates can produce effective weed suppression without compromising yield as a feasible and environmentally sound approach in broad bean fields.

Pressure filtration characteristics of enzymatically hydrolyzed biomass suspensions

Enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic polymers is likely to become one of the key technologies enabling industrial production of liquid biofuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass. Certain types of enzymes are able to hydrolyze cellulose and hemicellulose polymers to shorter units and finally to sugar monomers. These monomeric sugars are environmentally acceptable carbon sources for the production of liquid biofuels, such as bioethanol, and other chemicals, such as organic acids. Liquid biofuels in particular have been shown to contribute to the reduction of net emissions of greenhouse gases. The solid residue of enzymatic hydrolysis is composed mainly of lignin and partially degraded fibers, while the liquid phase contains the produced sugars. It is usually necessary to separate these two phases at some point after the hydrolysis stage. Pressure filtration is an efficient technique for this separation. Solid-liquid separation of biomass suspensions is difficult, because biomass solids are able to retain high amounts of water, which cannot be readily liberated by mechanical separation techniques. Most importantly, the filter cakes formed from biomaterials are compressible, which ultimately means that the separation may not be much improved by increasing the filtration pressure. The use of filter aids can therefore facilitate the filtration significantly. On the other hand, the upstream process conditions have a major influence on the filtration process. This thesis investigates how enzymatic hydrolysis and related process conditions affect the filtration properties of a cardboard suspension. The experimental work consists of pressure filtration and characterization of hydrolysates. The study provides novel information about both issues, as the relationship between enzymatic hydrolysis conditions and subsequent filtration properties has so far not been considered in academic studies. The results of the work reveal that the final degree of hydrolysis is an important factor in the filtration stage. High hydrolysis yield generally increases the average specific cake resistance. Mixing during the hydrolysis stage resulted in undefined changes in the physical properties of the solid residue, causing a high filtration resistance when the mixing intensity was high. Theoretical processing of the mixing data led to an interesting observation: the average specific cake resistance was observed to be linearly proportional to the mixer shear stress. Another finding worth attention is that the size distributions of the solids did not change very dramatically during enzymatic hydrolysis. There was an observable size reduction during the first couple of hours, but after that the size reduction was minimal. Similarly, the size distribution of the suspended solids remained almost constant when the hydrolyzed suspension was subjected to intensive mixing. It was also found that the average specific cake resistance was successfully reduced by the use of filter aids. This reduction depended on the method of how the filter aids were applied. In order to obtain high filtration capacity, it is recommended to use the body feed mode, i.e. to mix the filter aid with the slurry prior to filtration. Regarding the quality of the filtrate, precoat filtration was observed to produce a clear filtrate with negligible suspended solids content, while the body feed filtrates were turbid, irrespective of which type of filter aid was used.

S-metolachlor efficacy on the control of Brachiaria decumbens, Digitaria horizontalis, and Panicum maximum in mechanically green harvested sugarcane

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of S-metolachlor applied in pre-emergence conditions for the control of Brachiaria decumbens, Digitaria horizontalis, and Panicum maximum in sugar cane mechanically harvested without previous burning of the crop (green harvest) with the crop residue either left or not on the soil surface. The experiments were established in the field according to a randomized complete block design with four repetitions in a 7 x 2 split-plot scheme. In the plots, five herbicide treatments were studied (S-metolachlor at 1.44, 1.92, and 2.40 kg ha-1, clomazone at 1.20 kg ha-1, and isoxaflutole at 0.188 kg ha-1), and two control treatments with no herbicide application. In the subplots, the presence or absence of sugar cane crop residue on the soil surface was evaluated. S-metolachlor efficacy was not hampered by either 14 or 20 t ha-1 of sugar cane crop residue on the soil surface. When sugar cane crop residue was covering the soil surface, S-metolachlor at a rate of 1.44 kg ha-1 resulted in weed control similar at their larger rates, where as without the presence of crop residue, S-metolachlor controlled B. decumbens, D. horizontalis, and P. maximum at the rates of 1.92, 1.44, and 1.92 kg ha-1, respectively. The herbicides clomazone and isoxaflutole were effective for the studied species, independently of the crop residue covering the soil surface. S-metolachlor caused no visible injury symptoms to the sugar cane plant. Clomazone and isoxaflutole caused visible injuries to the sugar cane plant. None of the herbicides negatively affected the number of viable culms m² or the culm height and diameter.

Comparative allelopathic potential of metabolites of two Alternanthera species against germination and seedling growth of rice

A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the allelopathic effect of aqueous extracts of plant parts of Alternanthera philoxeroides and A. sessilis and soil incorporated residues on germination and seedling growth of rice (Oryza sativa). Aqueous extracts prepared from different plant parts of Alternanthera species delayed rice germination. Alternanthera philoxeroides and A. sessilis inhibited rice germination by 9-100% and 4-49%, respectively. Germination of rice seeds was reduced with increasing concentration of aqueous leaf extracts of both weed species. Early seedling growth (root and shoot lengths) and seedling vigor index were significantly reduced by 5% aqueous leaf extract compared with distilled water treated control. Germination, root and shoot lengths, root and shoot dry weights and seedling vigor index of rice were drastically reduced by 3 and 4% in residue infested soil compared with residue free soil. The inhibitory effect of A. philoxeroides in terms of germination and seedling growth of rice was greater than that of A. sessilis. Five percent aqueous leaf extract and 4% residue infested soil of A. philoxeroides caused complete failure of rice seed germination. Alternanthera philoxeroides contained water soluble phenolics, namely 4 hydroxy-3-methoxy benzoic acid (16.19 mg L-1) and m-coumaric acid (1.48 mg L-1), whereas Alternanthera sessilis was rich in chlorogenic acid (17.85 mg L-1), gallic acid (11.03 mg L-1) and vanillic acid (9.88 mg L-1). The study indicates that the allelopathic potential of Alternanthera species may play an important role in enhancing the invasiveness of these species and may suppress rice plants in the vicinity.

Assessing the Potential of the Water Soluble Allelopaths of Marsilea minuta in Rice and Wheat

To investigate the allelopathic effect of Marsilea minuta against the germination and seedling growths of rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum), germination bioassays were conducted in both Petri dish and soil cultures in laboratory conditions. Rice and wheat seeds were allowed to germinate in a 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5% (w/v) aqueous extract of whole plant and 2, 4, 6, and 8% (w/w) plant residue-incorporated soils of M. minuta. In Petri dish experiments, 5% (w/v) an aqueous extract of M. mimuta showed significantly lower germination percentages (18.8% and 56.3%), root lengths (0.9 and 4.5 cm), shoot lengths (3.3 and 12.4 cm), seedling lengths (4.1 and 25.0 cm), root dry weights (1.4 and 5.6 g), shoot dry weights (1.1 and 9.0 g), seedling biomasses (2.5 and 14.6 g), and seedling vigor indices (77.4 and 957.3) in rice and wheat, respectively. In pot experiments, the M. minuta residue infested soil, with 8% concentration, produced significantly lower germination percentages (25.3 and 37.5%), root lengths (2.7 and 6.1 cm), shoot lengths (6.2 and 16.5 cm), seedling lengths (8.9 and 22.6 cm), root dry weights (2.4 and 5.5 g), shoot dry weights (4.0 and 2.8 g), seedling biomasses (6.4 and 8.3 g), and seedling vigor indices (224.1 and 855.3) in rice and wheat, respectively. The highest phytotoxic action of 5% aqueous whole plant extract of M. minuta against test crops seem to be due to the presence of two potent phenolic compounds, namely p-coumaric acid (2.91 mg L-1) and m-coumaric acid (1.59 mg L-1) as determined by HPLC analysis.

INTERCROPPING CORN WITH A COMBINATION OF TREE SPECIES TO CONTROL WEEDS

ABSTRACT The combination of crop residues or crop extracts is often more advantageous in controlling weeds, than the application of each residue or extract singly. This suggests that in intercropping with maize, the combination of tree species can be more advantageous than species isolated in weed control. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of intercropping with a combination of leguminous on the weed growth and corn yield. A randomized-block design with split plots (cultivars in plots) and five replicates was established. The cultivars BR 205 and AG 1041 were subject to the following treatments: two weedings (A), intercropping with sabiá (B), gliricidia (C), gliricidia + sabiá (D) and no weeding (E). In the B and C, 30 viable seeds m-2 of the leguminous were sown. In the D, 15 seeds of each species were sown m-2. The legumes were sown by random casting during corn planting. The sequence of the best treatments in reducing the growth of weeds is A > B = C = D = E. The sequence of the best treatments when are considered the yields of baby corn, green corn and grain is A > B > C > D > E. The cultivars do not differ in regards to the reduction in weed growth. In terms of corn yield cultivar BR 205 is the best.

Allelopathic Influence of Residues from Sphagneticola trilobata on Weeds and Crops

The allelopathic effect studied in many cultures has currently generated great expectations that displayed a natural and environmentally friendly tool for weed management using bioherbicides. The objective of this work was to assess allelopathic influence of residues of S. trilobata on the germination and growth of weeds, as well as their relation with some crops and effects on soil properties. Results show that residues from S. trilobata have inhibited the germination of weeds (31.6 - 72%), increasingly with the applied dose. All residue doses of this specie have inhibited dicotyledonous germination, but only maximum concentration has affected monocotyledons. The residues did not affect onion germination, but stimulated it in radish and tomato, while the dose applied at 50% produced tomato stimulation and inhibition of cabbage. The effects of residues on hypocotyl growth in different crops showed changes in species response. For onion, the three doses had negative effects on the growth of hypocotyl, while tomato was stimulated. For radish, the growth was hindered by any dose applied, and were only different (50 and 100%) compared to control. For cabbage, only hypocotyl length was stimulated, when maximum dose (100%) was applied. For the radicle growth, in onion and radish no differences were found compared to control. While the tomato radicle growth was inhibited, in cabbage, all doses encouraged the elongation of the radicle. The dry mass of weed was affected by increased dose of residue (0.49 - 8.8 g m-2), however the soil microflora was stimulated, while the population of Azotobacter spp. was not affect. Some soil properties were affected, the level of organic material, Na+ and electrical conductivity were increased, while pH (H2O) decreased a bit, however it remained basic.

Eucalypt Growth Submitted to Management of Urochloa spp.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the initial growth and the physiological characteristics of eucalypt submitted to different managements of signalgrass. The experiment was conducted in a protected environment, using a randomized blocks design with five repetitions. The treatments were arranged in a (5 x 2) + 1 factorial design, and the first factor corresponded to the types of weed management (no control; chemical control keeping the signalgrass shoot on the soil; chemical control with removal of the signalgrass shoot; mechanical control keeping the signalgrass shoot on the soil, and mechanical control with removal of the signalgrass shoot); the second factor corresponded to the two weeds species (U. brizantha and U. decumbens) and a control relative to the eucalypt in monoculture. The eucalypt growth was not affected by the presence of the Urochloa species until 50 days after treatments (DAT). However, the coexistence of these species with eucalypt for 107 DAT reduced the collar diameter, total dry matter, and the leaf area, but did not alter the characteristics related to photosynthesis and transpiration. The control method adopted, with removal or maintenance of the signalgrass shoot, regardless of species, did not change the initial eucalypt growth. It can be concluded that the coexistence of eucalypt with Urochloa decumbens or Urochloa brizantha for 105 days reduces the eucalypt growth. However, the use of chemical or mechanical control, with or without removal of signalgrass residue, were effective methods to prevent interference of these weeds.

AQUAREL CONCEPT Aquatic resources for green energy realization

The AQUAREL project studied the availability and optional utilization methods for fish processing side streams and other aquatic biomaterial in the Republic of Karelia. Additionally processing aquatic biomaterial with manure and sewage sludge was studied. Based on the results, the most feasible option today is to process fish side streams to fish oil and dewatered oil-free residue and to use them for fish or animal feed production. However, it is necessary to highlight, that changes in e.g. economic environment, energy prices and demand may require re-evaluating the results and conclusions made in the project. Producing fish oil from fish processing side streams is an easy and relatively simple production process generating a valuable end product. The functionality of the process was confirmed in a pilot conducted in the project. The oil and solids are separated from the heated fish waste based on gravity. The fish oil separating on top of the separator unit is removed. Fish oil can as such be utilized for heating purposes, fish meal or animal feed production, but it can also be further processed to biodiesel. However, due to currently moderate energy prices in Russia, biodiesel production is not economically profitable. Even if the fish oil production process is not complicated, the operative management of small-scale fish oil production unit requires dedicated resources and separate facilities especially to meet hygiene requirements. Managing the side streams is not a core business for fish farmers. Efficient and economically profitable fish oil production requires a centralized production unit with bigger processing capacity. One fish processing unit needs to be designed to manage side streams collected from several fish farms. The optimum location for the processing unit is in the middle of the fish farms. Based on the transportation cost analysis in the Republic of Karelia, it is not economically efficient to transport bio-wastes for more than 100 km since the transportation costs start increasing substantially. Another issue to be considered is that collection of side streams, including the dead fish, from the fish farms should be organized on a daily basis in order to eliminate the need for storing the side streams at the farms. Based on AQUAREL project studies there are different public funding sources available for supporting and enabling profitable and environmentally sustainable utilization, research or development of fish processing side streams and other aquatic biomaterial. Different funding programmes can be utilized by companies, research organizations, authorities and non-governmental organizations.

Flavianate, an amino acid precipitant, is a competitive inhibitor of trypsin at pH 3.0

Textile dyes bind to proteins leading to selective co-precipitation of a complex involving one protein molecule and more than one dye molecule of opposite charge in acid solutions, in a process of reversible denaturation that can be utilized for protein fractionation. In order to understand what occurs before the co-precipitation, a kinetic study using bovine ß-trypsin and sodium flavianate was carried out based on reaction progress curve techniques. The experiments were carried out using a-CBZ-L-Lys-p-nitrophenyl ester as substrate which was added to 50 mM sodium citrate buffer, pH 3.0, containing varying concentrations of ß-trypsin and dye. The reaction was recorded spectrophotometrically at 340 nm for 30 min, and the families of curves obtained were analyzed simultaneously by fitting integrated Michaelis-Menten equations. The dye used behaved as a competitive inhibitor of trypsin at pH 3.0, with Ki = 99 µM; kinetic parameters for the substrate hydrolysis were: Km = 32 µM, and kcat = 0.38/min. The competitive character of the inhibition suggests a specific binding of the first dye molecule to His-57, the only positively charged residue at the active site of the enzyme.

Development of an operational substrate for ZapA, a metalloprotease secreted by the bacterium Proteus mirabilis

The protease ZapA, secreted by Proteus mirabilis, has been considered to be a virulence factor of this opportunistic bacterium. The control of its expression requires the use of an appropriate methodology, which until now has not been developed. The present study focused on the replacement of azocasein with fluorogenic substrates, and on the definition of enzyme specificity. Eight fluorogenic substrates were tested, and the peptide Abz-Ala-Phe-Arg-Ser-Ala-Ala-Gln-EDDnp was found to be the most convenient for use as an operational substrate for ZapA. A single peptide bond (Arg-Ser) was cleaved with a Km of 4.6 µM, a k cat of 1.73 s-1, and a catalytic efficiency of 376 (mM s)-1. Another good substrate for ZapA was peptide 6 (Abz-Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-Phe-Arg-Gln-EDDnp) which was cleaved at a single bond (Phe-Ser) with a Km of 13.6 µM, a k cat of 3.96 s-1 and a catalytic efficiency of 291 (mM s)-1. The properties of the amino acids flanking the scissile bonds were also evaluated, and no clear requirement for the amino acid residue at P1 was found, although the enzyme seems to have a preference for a hydrophobic residue at P2.

Reaction of diphenyl diselenide with hydrogen peroxide and inhibition of delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase from rat liver and cucumber leaves

The interaction of the product of H2O2 and (PhSe)2 with delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (delta-ALA-D) from mammals and plants was investigated. (PhSe)2 inhibited rat hepatic delta-ALA-D with an IC50 of 10 µM but not the enzyme from cucumber leaves. The reaction of (PhSe)2 with H2O2 for 1 h increased the inhibitory potency of the original compound and the IC50 for animal delta-ALA-D inhibition was decreased from 10 to 2 µM. delta-ALA-D from cucumber leaves was also inhibited by the products of reaction of (PhSe)2 with H2O2 with an IC50 of 4 µM. The major product of reaction of (PhSe)2 with H2O2 was identified as seleninic acid and produced an intermediate with a lambdamax at 265 nm after reaction with t-BuSH. These results suggest that the interaction of (PhSe)2 with mammal delta-ALA-D requires the presence of cysteinyl residues in close proximity. Two cysteine residues in spatial proximity have been recently described for the mammalian enzyme. Analysis of the primary structure of plant delta-ALA-D did not reveal an analogous site. In contrast to (PhSe)2, seleninic acid, as a result of the higher electrophilic nature of its selenium atom, may react with additional cysteinyl residue(s) in mammalian delta-ALA-D and also with cysteinyl residues from cucumber leaves located at a site distinct from that found at the B and A sites in mammals. Although the interaction of organochalcogens with H2O2 may have some antioxidant properties, the formation of seleninic acid as a product of this reaction may increase the toxicity of organic chalcogens such as (PhSe)2.