Tushar C. Sarker

Soil fertility promotes decomposition rate of nutrient poor, but not nutrient rich litter through nitrogen transfer

Background and aimsLitter decomposition is a critical process in terrestrial ecosystems and understanding the effects of soil fertility on the litter decay rate is of great ecological relevance. Here we test the hypothesis that N transfer from soil to litter will promote the decay rate of N poor but not N rich litter types.MethodsTen organic substrates, encompassing a wide range of biochemical quality in terms of C/N and lignin/N ratios, were decomposed in microcosms over three soil types with different N content, but inoculated with the same microbiome. Organic substrates were characterized for mass loss, C and N content to assess N transfer from soil to litter.ResultsThe decay rate response to soil fertility was related to their initial N content: positive for substrates with little initial N content and not significant for N rich plant residues. A significant N transfer, generally larger from N rich soil to N poor substrates, was found. Litter C/N and lignin/N ratios showed variable relationships with the litter decay according with the soil fertility gradient, with positive and negative correlations in N rich and N poor soils, respectively.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated that the decomposition of N rich litter proceeded irrespective of soil fertility while the decay rate of N poor substrates, either lignin poor or rich, was controlled by soil fertility likely as a result of N transfer. Litter C/N and lignin/N ratios were reliable indicators of litter quality to predict their decay rate in N poor soil, but not in N rich soils.

Sugarcane bagasse: a potential low-cost biosorbent for the removal of hazardous materials

The contamination of surface water sources by organic and inorganic pollutants is a major concern in rapidly industrializing countries, and the removal of these potentially hazardous contaminants from the aquatic environment using environmentally friendly technologies is therefore crucial. Biosorption, the passive binding of pollutants using dead biomass, can be achieved using various low-cost agro-industrial residues, which are a convenient substitute to the existing technologies for removing pollutants from aqueous solutions. This review deals with the implementation of sugarcane bagasse as a cost-effective natural biosorbent. We have extensively reviewed the status of research into sugarcane bagasse-based biosorbents in raw and modified forms and explore their efficacy in the removal of pollutants. For this purpose, we considered the bagasse modification processes, modifying agents, and the effects of different experimental variables (for example, biosorbent dosage, initial pollutant ion concentration, solution pH and temperature, contact time, and adsorbent particle size) on the adsorption process and potential. Moreover, we propose the following important goals for future research: (1) determine the adsorption potential of sugarcane bagasse at pilot and industrial scales, (2) demonstrate the efficacies of biosorption techniques for real effluents, and (3) conduct a molecular modeling study to elucidate sugarcane bagasse-associated adsorption mechanism(s).

Factors affecting the soil arsenic bioavailability, accumulation in rice and risk to human health: a review

Abstract Arsenic (As), a class one carcinogen, reflects a disastrous environmental threat due to its presence in each and every compartment of the environment. The high toxicity of As is notably present in its inorganic forms. Irrigation with As contaminated groundwater in rice fields increases As concentration in topsoil and its bioavailability for rice crops. However, most of the As in paddy field topsoils is present as As(III) form, which is predominant in rice grain. According to the OECD-FAO, rice is the second most extensively cultivated cereal throughout the world. This cereal is a staple food for a large number of populations in most of the developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, South and South-east Asia. Rice consumption is one of the major causes of chronic As diseases including cancer for Asian populations. Thus, this review provides an overview concerning the conditions involved in soil that leads to As entrance into rice crops, phytotoxicity and metabolism of As in rice plants. Moreover, the investigations of the As uptake in raw rice grain are compiled, and the As biotransfer into the human diet is focused. The As uptake by rice crop represents an important pathway of As exposure in countries with high rice and rice-based food consumption because of its high (more than the hygienic level) As levels found in edible plant part for livestock and humans.

Frequent Applications of Organic Matter to Agricultural Soil Increase Fungistasis

Abstract Soil–borne plant pathogens are among the most important limiting factors for the productivity of agro–ecosystems. Fungistasis is the natural capability of soils to inhibit the germination and growth of soil–borne fungi in the presence of optimal abiotic conditions. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of different soil managements, in terms of soil amendment types and frequency of application, on fungistasis. For this purpose, a microcosm experiment was performed by conditioning a soil with frequent applications of organic matter with contrasting biochemical quality ( i. e ., glucose, alfalfa straw and wheat straw). Thereafter, the fungistasis response was assessed on four fungi ( Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Pyrenochaeta lycopersici and Trichoderma harzianum ). Conditioned soils were characterized by measuring microbial activity (soil respiration) and functional diversity using the BIOLOG EcoPlates TM method. Results showed that irrespective of the fungal species and amendment types, frequent applications of organic matter reduced fungistasis relief and shortened the time required for fungistasis restoration. The frequent addition of easily decomposable organic compounds enhanced soil respiration and its specific catabolic capabilities. This study demonstrated that frequent applications of organic matter affected soil fungistasis likely as a result of higher microbial activity and functional diversity.

Linking plant phytochemistry to soil processes and functions: the usefulness of 13 C NMR spectroscopy

The organic matter cycle is one of the most fundamental processes in ecosystems affecting the soil and controlling its functions. The soil complex microbiome is made up of thousands of bacterial and hundreds of fungal strains that coexist on the many different available organic carbon sources. In natural plant communities, freshly fallen leaf-litter and dead roots are subject to decomposition by a complex food-web composed of both microbial saprotrophs and invertebrate detritivores. The litter chemical composition varies dramatically among species in relation to plant life forms (conifer, broadleaf, nitrogen-fixing, graminoid) and, within species, with plant organs (leaf, root, woody tissues). This paper reviews the usefulness of advanced chemical technologies to study the composition of both plant litter and organic amendments, supporting the description of their mechanism of action and attention to their potential applications. First, a critical review is presented on the limitations of C/N and lignin/N ratios, still widely used as basic indicators of litter chemistry. Second, the potential of the solid state 13C-CPMAS NMR is reported as a powerful tool to assess the chemical composition of both litter and organic amendments. Finally, six different study cases are reported to provide evidence of the usefulness of such metabolomic approach for the description of organic matter chemistry aimed to an effective prediction of its impact on soil ecosystem functions.

Faster N Release, but Not C Loss, From Leaf Litter of Invasives Compared to Native Species in Mediterranean Ecosystems

Plant invasions can have relevant impacts on biogeochemical cycles, whose extent, in Mediterranean ecosystems, have not yet been systematically assessed comparing litter carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics between invasive plants and native communities. We carried out a 1-year litterbag experiment in 4 different plant communities (grassland, sand dune, riparian and mixed forests) on 8 invasives and 24 autochthonous plant species, used as control. Plant litter was characterized for mass loss, N release, proximate lignin and litter chemistry by 13C CPMAS NMR. Native and invasive species showed significant differences in litter chemical traits, with invaders generally showing higher N concentration and lower lignin/N ratio. Mass loss data revealed no consistent differences between native and invasive species, although some woody and vine invaders showed exceptionally high decomposition rate. In contrast, N release rate from litter was faster for invasive plants compared to native species. N concentration, lignin content and relative abundance of methoxyl and N-alkyl C region from 13C CPMAS NMR spectra were the parameters that better explained mass loss and N mineralization rates. Our findings demonstrate that during litter decomposition invasive species litter has no different decomposition rates but greater N release rate compared to natives. Accordingly, invasives are expected to affect N cycle in Mediterranean plant communities, possibly promoting a shift of plant assemblages.

Does a plant detect its neighbor if it is kin or stranger? Evidence from a common garden experiment

Unlike vagile organisms, plants perform a wide range of phenotypic responses to cope with environmental stresses. A special case of interaction with external factors is the ability of plants to recognize genetic relatedness of neighbour plants, actually well known as kin recognition. The present work aimed to provide a valuable contribution to the field of kin recognition in plants through a common garden experiment. To avoid bias involved in pot experiments, we perform an experiment in unconstrained root growth conditions comparing the development of coupled kin, non-kin and solitary plants of Xanthium italicum. Biometrics of plants with different genetic relatedness were measured, then architecture and competitive interaction were assessed using the relative interaction index (RII) for above and belowground portions of plants. X. italicum showed different allocation depending on the neighbourhood. Root biomass was declined in plants growing with kin compared to non-kin coupled plants, while plants coupled with kin allocated more shoot than roots compared to solitary plants. RII explains phenotypic response of decreased competition in roots rather than in shoots. Despite high values of RII for the aboveground portion, the architectural analysis of shoot, number, angle and length of branches and roots reveals dramatic but indistinctive change in the structure of plants growing near kin or non kin compared to a solitary plant. These results confirm phenotypic responses of kin recognition in unconstrained environment.