Nancy Longnecker

Lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.) roots differ in their sensitivity to pH above 6.0

Summary We compared the response of root elongation to a wide range of pH for Lupinus angustifolius cv. Yandee and Pisum sativum cv. Dundale grown in buffered and unbuffered nutrient solutions. Root elongation of peas was not affected by pH from 4.5 to 8.0, whereas root elongation of lupins was markedly decreased by increasing pH from 5.5 to 6.0 and further decreased when pH was increased to 8.0; the pH optimum for lupin root elongation was between 5.0 to 5.5. The decreased lupin root growth was caused by a decreased cell elongation rather than cell division. This effect of high pH occurred within one hour and was readily reversible. Additionally, cortical cells of lupin roots exposed to pH 6.5 and 8.0 expanded spherically rather than longitudinally, resulting in an increased root diameter. Decreased root elongation of lupins grown at high pH was greater in buffered solutions than in unbuffered solutions.

The State of Science Communication Programs at Universities Around the World

Building on discussions at two workshops held at the recent 10th International Conference on the Public Communication of Science and Technology during June 2008 in Malmö, Sweden, this article proposes specific steps toward achieving a common understanding of the essential elements for academic programs in science communication. About 40 academics, science communication professionals, and students from at least 16 countries participated in this process.

The growth of Lupinus species on alkaline soils

Lupinus angustifolius L. grows poorly on alkaline soils, particularly those that are fine-textured. This poor growth has been attributed to high concentrations of bicarbonate, high clay content and/or iron deficiency. In field studies, we examined the growth of 13 lupin genotypes reliant on N2 fixation, or receiving NH4N03, at four sites with various combinations of soil pH and texture. Plants grown on an alkaline clay and an alkaline sand showed iron chlorosis at early stages, and had a slower shoot growth than those grown on an acid loam or an acid sand. Species varied greatly in the severity of iron chlorosis and also in growth and seed yield, with L. angustifolius, L. luteus and L. albus more affected than L. pilosus, L. atlanticus and L. cosentinii. Rankings of growth and seed yield of the lupin genotypes on the alkaline clay correlated well with the rankings on the alkaline sand soil. Plants which had severe iron chlorosis in alkaline clay also had severe chlorosis in alkaline sands. However, correlation between the severity of iron chlorosis and early shoot growth was poor. The results suggest that high pH and/or high bicarbonate are more likely than soil texture to be the primary factors restricting the growth of commercial lupins.

Variation in the growth of lupin species and genotypes on alkaline soil

Commercial lupins grow poorly on alkaline and neutral fine-textured soils. Genotypic variation exists among lupins. The present study compared the growth of 13 lupin genotypes, including introduced cultivars and wild types, in an alkaline loamy soil and an acid loamy soil.

Marine Conservation in the Azores: Evaluating Marine Protected Area Development in a Remote Island Context

In the Archipelago of the Azores, over 110,000 km2 of marine areas presently benefit from some form of protection, including a suite of coastal habitats, offshore areas, seamounts, hydrothermal vents and large parcels of mid-ocean ridge. These areas are integrated in the recently established network of marine protected areas (MPAs), which stands as the cornerstone of Azorean marine conservation policies. This article describes and analyses the process of MPA establishment in the Azores and the current network of protected areas. Three phases of MPA development are identified, progressing from individual MPA establishment with little scientific support in the 1980s, the increasing scope of scientific research during the 1990s under European Union initiatives and the gradual implementation of an MPA network in the 2000s. Expert critical evaluation of the contemporary situation demonstrates that this network must be integrated within a wider regional marine management strategy, with MPA success being contingent upon the implementation of management plans, appropriate enforcement and monitoring, and bridging gaps in scientific knowledge.

Effects of seed manganese concentration on lupin emergence

Seed of narrow-leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.) produced in Western Australia often has low manganese (Mn) concentration because of low Mn availability in the soil during grain filling. A major problem of lupin production is poor seedling establishment. We tested the hypothesis that low Mn concentration in lupin seeds decreases emergence.

Uses, Consumption and Utilization

The paper examines the consumption pattern, post harvest processes and uses in chickpea across the world.

Seed manganese affects the early growth of lupins in manganese-deficient conditions

Poor crop establishment and split seed associated with manganese (Mn) deficiency are major problems in the production of narrow-leafed lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L.) in Western Australia. A survey of Western Australian seed producers indicated that Mn concentrations in lupin seeds ranged from 8 to 62 mg kg-1, with the majority of the seed containing less than 20 mg kg-1. We studied seedling growth of lupins (cultivars Gungurru and Danja) in nutrient solution, from seed with Mn concentrations ranging from 8 (Seed8) to 223 (Seed 223) mg kg-1. Without added Mn, the final weight of plants grown from Seed8 was 39% for shoots and 30% for roots, compared to maximum growth (Seed62). With adequate external Mn supply, there was no effect of seed Mn on growth of plants grown from undamaged seedlings. Shoot weight of Gungurru lupins 42 days after imbibing increased with increasing seed Mn concentration up to about 55 mg kg-1 when grown without added Mn. Growth of Danja plants increased similarly with increasing seed Mn concentration.

An integrated model of science communication — More than providing evidence

Factors that influence reception and use of information are represented in this koru model of science communication using the metaphor of a growing plant. Identity is central to this model, determining whether an individual attends to information, how it is used and whether access to it results in increased awareness, knowledge or understanding, changed attitudes or behaviour. In this koru model, facts are represented as nutrients in the soil; the matrix influences their availability. Communication involves reorganisation of facts into information, available via channels represented as roots. When information is taken up, engagement with it is influenced by external factors (social norms, support and control) and internal factors (values, beliefs, attitudes, awareness, affect, understanding, skills and behaviour) which affect whether the individual uses it to form new knowledge. Abstract

Benefits and challenges of incorporating citizen science into university education

A common feature of many citizen science projects is the collection of data by unpaid contributors with the expectation that the data will be used in research. Here we report a teaching strategy that combined citizen science with inquiry-based learning to offer first year university students an authentic research experience. A six-year partnership with the Australian phenology citizen science program ClimateWatch has enabled biology students from the University of Western Australia to contribute phenological data on plants and animals, and to conduct the first research on unvalidated species datasets contributed by public and university participants. Students wrote scientific articles on their findings, peer-reviewed each other’s work and the best articles were published online in a student journal. Surveys of more than 1500 students showed that their environmental engagement increased significantly after participating in data collection and data analysis. However, only 31% of students agreed with the statement that “data collected by citizen scientists are reliable” at the end of the project, whereas the rate of agreement was initially 79%. This change in perception was likely due to students discovering erroneous records when they mapped data points and analysed submitted photographs. A positive consequence was that students subsequently reported being more careful to avoid errors in their own data collection, and making greater efforts to contribute records that were useful for future scientific research. Evaluation of our project has shown that by embedding a research process within citizen science participation, university students are given cause to improve their contributions to environmental datasets. If true for citizen scientists in general, enabling participants as well as scientists to analyse data could enhance data quality, and so address a key constraint of broad-scale citizen science programs.