Phytoremediation efficacy of native vegetation for nutrients and heavy metals on soils amended with poultry litter and fertilizer.

Poultry litter on agricultural lands could introduce nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), heavy metals in soil and ground water. Native vegetations were identified to assess efficacy for phytoremediation of nutrients and metals from soil and water. Objective was to measure capability of multi-year native species to remove metals, nutrients, and prevent Nitrate-N leaching below the rooting zone.

Analysis and comparison of seed protein, oil, and sugars in edamame dried using two oven-drying methods and mature soybeans.

Background: Edamame, a vegetable soybean (Glycine max) grown mainly in Asia, has high nutritional and market value and is a relatively new crop to North America. By 2 years of field trials, we evaluated the seed composition traits in 54 genotypes to analyze the differences and relationship between edamame seeds dried by two oven-drying methods and mature soybeans.

Results: The genotypic differences were significant for all the traits investigated.

Melatonin acts synergistically with auxin to promote lateral root development through fine tuning auxin transport in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) plays important roles in plant developmental growth, especially in root architecture. The similarity in both chemical structure and biosynthetic pathway suggests a potential linkage between melatonin and auxin signaling. However the molecular mechanism regulating this melatonin-mediated root architecture changes is not yet elucidated.

Mineral Properties and Dietary Value of Raw and Processed Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.).

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) has a long history of usage and is currently receiving attention as a source of fiber and alternative medicine. In many cultures, nettle is also eaten as a leafy vegetable.