Pea-barley intercropping for efficient symbiotic N-2-fixation, soil N acquisition and use of other nutrients in European organic cropping systems

Complementarity in acquisition of nitrogen (N) from soil and N-2-fixation within pea and barley intercrops was studied in organic field experiments across Western Europe (Denmark, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy). Spring pea and barley were sown either as sole crops, at the recommended plant density (P100 and B100, respectively) or in replacement (P50B50) or additive (P100B50) intercropping designs, in each of three cropping seasons (2003-2005). Irrespective of site and intercrop design, Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) between 1.4 at flowering and 1.3 at maturity showed that total N recovery was greater in the pea-barley intercrops than in the sole Crops Suggesting a high degree of complementarity over a wide range of growing conditions. Complementarity was partly attributed to greater soil mineral N acquisition by barley, forcing pea to rely more on N-2-fixation. At all sites the proportion of total aboveground pea N that was derived from N-2-fixation was greater when intercropped with barley than when grown as a sole crop. No consistent differences were found between the two intercropping designs. Simultaneously, the accumulation Of Phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S) in Danish and German experiments was 20% higher in the intercrop (P50B50) than in the respective sole crops, possibly influencing general crop yields and thereby competitive ability for other resources. Comparing all sites and seasons, the benefits of organic pea-barley intercropping for N acquisition were highly resilient. It is concluded that pea-barley intercropping is a relevant cropping strategy to adopt when trying to optimize N-2-fixation inputs to the cropping system. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Amino-acid cycling drives nitrogen fixation in the legume - Rhizobium symbiosis

The biological reduction of atmospheric N-2 to ammonium (nitrogen fixation) provides about 65% of the biosphere's available nitrogen. Most of this ammonium is contributed by legume rhizobia symbioses(1), which are initiated by the infection of legume hosts by bacteria (rhizobia), resulting in formation of root nodules. Within the nodules, rhizobia are found as bacteroids, which perform the nitrogen fixation: to do this, they obtain sources of carbon and energy from the plant, in the form of dicarboxylic acids(2,3). It has been thought that, in return, bacteroids simply provide the plant with ammonium. But here we show that a more complex amino-acid cycle is essential for symbiotic nitrogen fixation by Rhizobium in pea nodules. The plant provides amino acids to the bacteroids, enabling them to shut down their ammonium assimilation. In return, bacteroids act like plant organelles to cycle amino acids back to the plant for asparagine synthesis. The mutual dependence of this exchange prevents the symbiosis being dominated by the plant, and provides a selective pressure for the evolution of mutualism.

Coordination-driven self-assembly of a novel carbonato-bridged heteromolecular neutral nickel(II) triangle by atmospheric CO2 fixation

Formation of a quasi-symmetrical mu(3)-carbonato-bridged self-assembled heteromolecular triangle of Ni(II), [(mu(3)-CO3){Ni-2(salmeNH)(2)(NCS)(2)}[Ni(salmeNH(2))(2)]center dot Et2O center dot H2O (HsalmeNH = 2-[(3-methylamino-propylimino)-methyl]-phenol) involves atmospheric CO2 uptake in a neutral medium, by spontaneous self-reorganization of the starting mononuclear Ni(II)-Schiff-base complex, [Ni(salmeNH)(2)]. The environment around Ni(II) in two of the subunits is different from the third one. The starting complex, (Ni(salmeNH)(2)], and one of the possible intermediate species, [Ni(salmeNH(2))(2)(NCS)(2)], which has a very similar coordination environment to that in the third Ni(II) center, have been characterized structurally. A plausible mechanism for the formation of such a triangle has also been proposed. The compound shows a very strong antiferromagnetic coupling. Fit as a regular triangular arrangement gave J = -53.1, g = 2.24, and R = 1.5 x 10(-4).

Occurrence of ribbons of cyclic water pentamers in a metallo-organic framework formed by spontaneous fixation of CO2

In the reaction of equimolar amounts of copper(II) acetate with 2,2'-dipyridylamine (DPA) in aqueous tetrahydrofuran, in presence of KOH, aerial CO2 is spontaneously fixed to the carbonate anion yielding [Cu(DPA)(CO3)] . 3H(2)O (1). X-ray crystallography shows the presence of zigzag ribbons of cyclic water pentamers in the channels of a chain-like metallo-organic framework. The water ribbons are stabilised by hydrogen bonds to the metallo-organic backbone. Each (H2O)(5) pentamer is approximately planar.

Free atmospheric CO2 enrichment increased above ground biomass but did not affect symbiotic N2-fixation and soil carbon dynamics in a mixed deciduous stand in Wales

Through increases in net primary production (NPP), elevated CO2 is hypothesizes to increase the amount of plant litter entering the soil. The fate of this extra carbon on the forest floor or in mineral soil is currently not clear. Moreover, increased rates of NPP can be maintained only if forests can escape nitrogen limitation. In a Free atmospheric CO2 Enrichment (FACE) experiment near Bangor, Wales, 4 ambient CO2 and 4 FACE plots were planted with patches of Betula pendula, Alnus glutinosa and Fagus sylvatica on a former arable field. Four years after establishment, only a shallow L forest floor litter layer had formed due to intensive bioturbation. Total soil C and N contents increased irrespective of treatment and species as a result of afforestation. We could not detect an additional C sink in the soil, nor were soil C stabilization processes affected by FACE. We observed a decrease of leaf N content in Betula and Alnus under FACE, while the soil C/N ratio decreased regardless of CO2 treatment. The ratio of N taken up from the soil and by N2-fixation in Alnus was not affected by FACE. We infer that increased nitrogen use efficiency is the mechanism by which increased NPP is sustained under elevated CO2 at this site.

Novel European free-living, non-diazotrophic Bradyrhizobium isolates from contrasting soils that lack nodulation and nitrogen fixation genes - a genome comparison

The slow-growing genus Bradyrhizobium is biologically important in soils, with different representatives found to perform a range of biochemical functions including photosynthesis, induction of root nodules and symbiotic nitrogen fixation and denitrification. Consequently, the role of the genus in soil ecology and biogeochemical transformations is of agricultural and environmental significance. Some isolates of Bradyrhizobium have been shown to be non-symbiotic and do not possess the ability to form nodules. Here we present the genome and gene annotations of two such free-living Bradyrhizobium isolates, named G22 and BF49, from soils with differing long-term management regimes (grassland and bare fallow respectively) in addition to carbon metabolism analysis. These Bradyrhizobium isolates are the first to be isolated and sequenced from European soil and are the first free-living Bradyrhizobium isolates, lacking both nodulation and nitrogen fixation genes, to have their genomes sequenced and assembled from cultured samples. The G22 and BF49 genomes are distinctly different with respect to size and number of genes; the grassland isolate also contains a plasmid. There are also a number of functional differences between these isolates and other published genomes, suggesting that this ubiquitous genus is extremely heterogeneous and has roles within the community not including symbiotic nitrogen fixation.

Evaluation of in vitro resistance of titanium and resorbable (poly-L-DL-lactic acid) fixation systems on the mandibular angle fracture

The purpose of this study was to compare, by mechanical in vitro testing, a 2.0-mm system made with poly-L-DL-lactide acid with an analogue titanium-based system. Mandible replicas were used as a substrate and uniformly sectioned on the left mandibular angle. The 4-hole plates were adapted and stabilized passively in the same site in both groups using four screws, 6.0 mm long. During the resistance-to-load test, the force was applied perpendicular to the occlusal plane at three different points: first molar at the plated side; first molar at the contralateral side; and between the central incisors. At 1 mm of displacement, no statistically significant difference was found. At 2 mm displacement, a statistically significant difference was observed when an unfavourable fracture was simulated and the load was applied in the contralateral first molar and when a favourable fracture was simulated and the load was applied between the central incisors. At the failure displacement, a statistically significant difference was observed only when the favourable fracture was simulated and the load was applied on the first molar at the plated side. In conclusion, despite more failure, the poly-L-DL-lactic acid-based system was effective.

Study of the carbon dioxide chemical fixation-activation by guanidines

Fixation of CO(2) is one of the most important priorities of the scientific community dedicated to reduce global warming. In this work, we propose new methods for the fixation of CO2 using the guanidine bases tetramethylguanidine (TMG) and 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]-pyrimidine (TBD). In order to understand the reactions occurring during the CO(2) fixation and release processes, we employed several experimental methods, including solution and solid-state NMR, FTIR, and coupled TGA-FTIR. Quantum mechanical NMR calculations were also carried out. Based on the results obtained, we concluded that CO(2) fixation with both TMG and TBD guanidines is a kinetically reversible process, and the corresponding fixation products have proved to be useful as transcarboxylating compounds. Afterward, CO(2) thermal releasing from this fixation product with TBD was found to be an interesting process for CO(2) capture and isolation purposes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of two agar gel immunodiffusion methods and a complement fixation test for serologic diagnosis of Brucella ovis infection in experimentally infected rams

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Genetic characterization and nitrogen fixation capacity of Rhizobium strains on common bean

O objetivo deste trabalho foi a caracterização genética de quatro novas estirpes de Rhizobium e a avaliação de sua capacidade de fixação de N2 e nodulação, comparadas a estirpes comerciais e à população nativa de rizóbios de um Latossolo Vermelho. Dois experimentos foram conduzidos em blocos ao acaso, em casa de vegetação. No primeiro experimento, conduzido em tubetes com vermiculita, avaliaram-se a nodulação e a capacidade de fixação das novas estirpes, em comparação com as estirpes comerciais CIAT-899 e PRF-81 e com a população nativa do solo. Das colônias puras isoladas, extraiu-se o DNA genômico e realizou-se o seqüenciamento do espaço intergênico, para a caracterização genética das estirpes e da população nativa de rizóbios. O segundo experimento foi realizado em vasos com solo, para determinação da produtividade e da nodulação do feijoeiro, cultivar Pérola, com o uso das estirpes isoladamente ou em mistura com a PRF-81. A população nativa do solo foi identificada como Rhizobium sp. e se mostrou ineficiente na fixação de nitrogênio. Foram encontradas três espécies de Rhizobium entre as quatro novas estirpes. As estirpes LBMP-4BR e LBMP-12BR estão entre as que têm maior capacidade de nodulação e fixação de N2, e apresentam respostas diferenciadas quando misturadas à PRF-81.

Study of the carbon dioxide chemical fixation-activation by guanidines

Fixation of CO2 is one of the most important priorities of the scientific community dedicated to reduce global warming. In this work, we propose new methods for the fixation of CO2 using the guanidine bases tetramethylguanidine (TMG) and 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-2H-pyrimido[1,2-a]-pyrimidine (TBD). In order to understand the reactions occurring during the CO2 fixation and release processes, we employed several experimental methods, including solution and solid-state NMR, FTIR, and coupled TGA-FTIR. Quantum mechanical NMR calculations were also carried out. Based on the results obtained, we concluded that CO2 fixation with both TMG and TBD guanidines is a kinetically reversible process, and the corresponding fixation products have proved to be useful as transcarboxylating compounds. Afterward, CO2 thermal releasing from this fixation product with TBD was found to be an interesting process for CO2 capture and isolation purposes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.