Saeed Ahmad Asad

Microbial ecology of anaerobic digesters: the key players of anaerobiosis.

Anaerobic digestion is the method of wastes treatment aimed at a reduction of their hazardous effects on the biosphere. The mutualistic behavior of various anaerobic microorganisms results in the decomposition of complex organic substances into simple, chemically stabilized compounds, mainly methane and CO2. The conversions of complex organic compounds to CH4 and CO2 are possible due to the cooperation of four different groups of microorganisms, that is, fermentative, syntrophic, acetogenic, and methanogenic bacteria. Microbes adopt various pathways to evade from the unfavorable conditions in the anaerobic digester like competition between sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) and methane forming bacteria for the same substrate. Methanosarcina are able to use both acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic pathways for methane production. This review highlights the cellulosic microorganisms, structure of cellulose, inoculum to substrate ratio, and source of inoculum and its effect on methanogenesis. The molecular techniques such as DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) utilized for dynamic changes in microbial communities and FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization) that deal with taxonomy and interaction and distribution of tropic groups used are also discussed.

Comparison of conventional puddling and dry tillage in rice–wheat system

In many parts of Asia, rice is transplanted in puddled fields and after the harvest of this crop wheat is grown. This traditional method of growing rice may have deleterious effect on the growth of the subsequent crop in a rice–wheat cropping system. Wheat crop was planted in the same plots following a rice crop to evaluate the residual effects of various tillage treatments suitable for rice on the growth of the subsequent crop. Rice cultivar Super-basmati was grown in summer and wheat cultivar Auqab-2000 in autumn after rice. Four treatments were used to grow rice viz. transplanting in continuously flooded conditions (TRF), transplanting with intermittent flooding and drying (TRI), direct seeded using dry seeds (DSR) and direct seeded using primed seeds (DSP). Traditional puddling tillage system was followed in TRF and TRI, while for DSR and DSP, dry tillage system was followed. For convenience, the abbreviations of the rice treatments were used to indicate the same plots during the wheat crop. For the rice crop, tiller number, fertile tillers, kernel and straw yield, and harvest index were significantly better with transplanted treatments (TRI and TRF) than the direct seeded treatments. TRI also gave a yield advantage of 5% over TRF. For wheat, crop following direct seeded rice was better than transplanting. This study suggests that intermittent irrigation in the traditional puddling tillage system and DSP dry tillage system are the promising alternatives that may be opted.

Determination of lytic enzyme activities of indigenous Trichoderma isolates from Pakistan.

Abstract This study investigated lytic enzyme activities in three indigenous Trichoderma strains namely, Trichoderma asperellum, Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma sp. Native Trichoderma strains and a virulent strain of Rhizoctonia solani isolated from infected bean plants were also included in the study. Enzyme activities were determined by measuring sugar reduction by dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method using suitable substrates. The antagonists were cultured in minimal salt medium with the following modifications: medium A (1 g of glucose), medium B (0.5 g of glucose + 0.5 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia), medium C (1.0 g of deactivated respective antagonist mycelium) and medium D (1 g of deactivated R. solani mycelia). T asperellum showed presence of higher amounts of chitinases, β-1, 3-glucanases and xylanases in extracellular protein extracts from medium D as compared to medium A. While, the higher activities of glucosidases and endoglucanses were shown in medium D extracts by T. harzianum. β-glucosidase activities were lower compared with other enzymes; however, activities of the extracts of medium D were significantly different. T. asperellum exhibited maximum inhibition (97.7%). On the other hand, Trichoderma sp. did not show any effect on mycelia growth of R. solani on crude extract.

Interaction of Rhizobium and Pseudomonas with Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) in Potted Soil with or Without P2O5

The effect of inoculation of Rhizobium or Pseudomonas, or both, in the presence and absence of phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) fertilizer on wheat yield was tested. The experiment was conducted outdoors in potted soil during two consecutive years under natural conditions. Rhizobial strain (Thal 8-chickpea nodulating bacteria) and Pseudomonas strain (54RB), both indigenous P solubilizers were applied in broth culture at seedling stage. Fertilizer in the form of P2O5 was an additional treatment applied at sowing time. Results revealed that inoculation of Pseudomonas strain in presence of phosphorus (P) fertilizer increased yield up to 41.8% when it was compared with only P fertilizer applied. Co-inoculation of Rhizobium and Pseudomonas strains with the P2O5 treatment however resulted in increased grains yield by 10% over the P2O5 treatment alone. It is inferred that inoculation with Rhizobium and Pseudomonas combined with P2O5 is not only environmentally beneficial but also economically sound and productive, with wheat yield increases of 10% to 42%.

Soil–PCB–PGPR Interactions in Changing Climate Scenarios

Rhizosphere soil inhabits an immense diversity of microorganisms capable to perform diverse functions. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are one of those and extensively studied to promote plant growth by various direct and indirect mechanisms. Along with growth-promoting characteristics, these ubiquitous microbes have also been well researched to remediate the contaminated environment with persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). PGPR use PCBs as a carbon source and transform the contaminants through anaerobic reductive dechlorination or aerobic oxidation reactions taking place as a part of their metabolic processes. These bacteria convert PCBs to less chlorinated and mineralized compounds at reduced energy rather than demanding additional source of carbon to facilitate transformation. Changing climate scenarios have drastically affected the soil microbial community including PGPR and altered the soil rhizosphere dynamics. Influenced by these climatic changes, some microbial populations are overgrown, whilst others are reduced to extinction. As a result their ability to remediate the pollutants is changed. This chapter provides an overview of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and their involvement to remediate the PCB-contaminated environment in changing climate.

Growth-related changes in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes grown under salinity stress

ABSTRACT The sensitivity of crop genotypes determines the level of growth reduction by salinity. Effect of salinity levels (7.5 and 15 dihydrate m−1) using completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications per treatment were compared on germination, chlorophyll content, water potential, ionic sodium and potassium (Na+, K+) balance, and other growth-related parameters of six wheat genotypes for varietal differences under long-term salinity stress. Chlorophyll contents at flowering stage and yield aspects at maturity of all the wheat genotypes decreased with increasing salinity. The maximum Na+ concentration was observed at 7.5 and 15 dS m−1 in Bhakhar and Saher-2000, respectively, while minimum Na+ concentration was observed for 9476. However, the maximum K+ concentration and water potential was noticed in 9476 at 7.5 dS m−1. Careful selection of salt-tolerant genotypes for field crops is an important perspective especially in the developing countries facing salinity problem. Our results revealed that the wheat genotype 9476 performed best regarding growth and physiological parameters compared to other wheat genotypes.