strain OV14 seed application enhances L. and L. development.

Given the challenges imposed by climate change and societal challenges, the European Union established ambitious goals as part of its Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy. Focussed on accelerating the transition to systems of sustainable food production, processing and consumption, a key element of F2F is to reduce the use of fertilisers by at least 20% and plant protection products by up to 50% by 2030. In recent years, a substantial body of research has highlighted the potential impact of microbial-based applications to support crop production practices through both biotic/abiotic stresses via maintaining or even improving yields and reducing reliance on intensive chemical inputs.

Low-cost physicochemical treatment for removal of ammonia, phosphate and nitrate contaminants from landfill leachate.

Four low-cost materials, oyster shells, pumice stone, sand and zeolite were employed as adsorbents in an adsorption batch assays investigating the removal of ammonia, phosphate and nitrate from an aqueous solution. These compounds were chosen as they represent typical compounds found in landfill leachate (LFL). Assay performance was evaluated by the Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms.

Microbes a Tool for the Remediation of Organotin Pollution Determined by Static Headspace Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Tributyltin (TBT) is one of the most toxic anthropogenic compounds introduced into the marine environment. Despite its global ban in 2008, TBT is still a problem of great concern due to its high affinity for particulate matter, providing a direct and potentially persistent route of entry into benthic sediments. Bioremediation strategies may constitute an alternative approach to conventional physicochemical methods, benefiting from the microorganism's potential to metabolize anthropogenic compounds.

Lithium in the Natural Waters of the South East of Ireland.

The South East of Ireland (County Carlow) contains a deposit of the valuable lithium-bearing mineral spodumene (LiAl(SiO₃)₂). This resource has recently attracted interest and abstractive mining in the area is a possibility for the future. The open cast mining of this resource could represent a potential hazard in the form of metalliferous pollution to local water.

Bacterial endophyte-enhanced phytoremediation of the organochlorine herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.

2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is a selective systemic herbicide for the control of broad-leaved weeds, which is widely used throughout the world. The persistence of its residues and its potential to migrate in the soil make it necessary to reduce its concentrations in contaminated soil and groundwater. The nature of this compound makes it particularly toxic to the broad-leaved plants, such as the poplar (Populus) and willow (Salix), which are often used in phytoremediation projects.

Colonisation of poplar trees by gfp expressing bacterial endophytes.

With the exception of nitrogen fixing bacteria, there is little known about the colonisation patterns or population sizes of bacterial endophytes in deciduous trees. This study describes the isolation, identification, construction and re-colonisation patterns of three green fluorescent protein(gfp):kanamycin(R) labelled bacterial endophytes when re-introduced into poplar trees, their original host plant. Two of these endophytes showed considerable colonisation in the roots and stems of inoculated plants.