Substrate composition evaluation for urban green infrastructure planted with calcareous grassland dicotyledonous species.

Green roofs and walls offer many benefits, not only in terms of the ecosystem services, but also in terms of improving building performance. The growing medium is the most important component of green roofs and walls. It should ensure stable plant growth with minimal maintenance and the proper choice is crucial for the survival and performance of the vegetation.

Inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Supports the Uptake of Macronutrients and Promotes the Growth of L. and L., a Candidate Species for Green Urban Infrastructure.

Green roofs and walls play an important role in promoting biodiversity, reducing the urban heat island effect and providing ecosystem services in urban areas. However, the conditions on green walls/roofs (low nutrient and organic matter content, drought, high temperatures) are often unfavorable for plant growth. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve the growth and development of plants under stress conditions as they can increase nutrient and water uptake.

Perennial biomass cropping and use: Shaping the policy ecosystem in European countries.

Demand for sustainably produced biomass is expected to increase with the need to provide renewable commodities, improve resource security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with COP26 commitments. Studies have demonstrated additional environmental benefits of using perennial biomass crops (PBCs), when produced appropriately, as a feedstock for the growing bioeconomy, including utilisation for bioenergy (with or without carbon capture and storage). PBCs can potentially contribute to Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) (2023-27) objectives provided they are carefully integrated into farming systems and landscapes.

Toxic effect of mercury on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonisation and physiological status of three seed-based Miscanthus hybrids.

Background: Currently, mercury pollution is a widespread problem in the world. As mercury is difficult to remove from the environment, it has long-term negative effects on soil health and human life. One of the techniques to stabilise Hg is phytostabilisation, which can be supported by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF).

The Effect of Combined Drought and Temperature Stress on the Physiological Status of Calcareous Grassland Species as Potential Candidates for Urban Green Infrastructure.

Nature-based solutions are promising for climate adaptation and environmental management in urban areas, but urban conditions are stressful for vegetation. In particular, the interaction of drought and high temperatures may be detrimental. Guiding plant selection for urban greening with native species requires a far better knowledge of plant adaptations and stress acclimation.

The effect of combined drought and trace metal elements stress on the physiological response of three Miscanthus hybrids.

Drought is a serious threat worldwide and has a significant impact on agricultural production and soil health. It can pose an even greater threat when it involves land contaminated with trace metal element (TMEs). To prevent desertification, such land should be properly managed and growing Miscanthus for energy or raw material purposes could be a solution.

The Effect of Different Agrotechnical Treatments on the Establishment of Hybrids in Soil Contaminated with Trace Metals.

Climate change and man-made pollution can have a negative impact on the establishment of Miscanthus plants in the field. This is particularly important because biomass can be produced on marginal land without conflicting with food crops. The establishment success depends on the hybrid chosen, the cultivation method, the climatic conditions, and the concentration of pollutants in the soil.

Field Evaluation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Colonization in × and Seed-Based Hybrids Grown in Heavy-Metal-Polluted Areas.

Understanding the behavior of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) associated with plants is essential for optimizing plant cultivation to the phytoremediation of degraded soils. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the differences in AMF root colonization between novel seed-based interspecific hybrids ( × ) and the standard × when grown in soils contaminated with heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and Zn). During the third and fourth growing seasons, higher concentration of metals in the roots and a limited transfer of metals from the roots to the shoots were observed in all the plants studied.

The cadmium accumulation differences of two Bidens pilosa L. ecotypes from clean farmlands and the changes of some physiology and biochemistry indices.

Bidens pilosa L. is a widely distributed Cd-hyperaccumulator species in the world with large biomass and fast growth rate. The Cd accumulating differences between different ecotypes of B.

Hormesis in Plants: The Role of Oxidative Stress, Auxins and Photosynthesis in Corn Treated with Cd or Pb.

Hormesis, which describes the stimulatory effect of low doses of toxic substances on growth, is a well-known phenomenon in the plant and animal kingdoms. However, the mechanisms that are involved in this phenomenon are still poorly understood. We performed preliminary studies on corn coleoptile sections, which showed a positive correlation between the stimulation of growth by Cd or Pb and an increase in the auxin and HO content in the coleoptile sections.

Exogenous jasmonic acid decreased Cu accumulation by alfalfa and improved its photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant system.

Jasmonic acid (JA) is an important phytohormone, which among others may be involved in the regulation of plant accumulating heavy metal. This experiment was designed to explore the effects of exogenous JA on the responses of alfalfa to Cu stress (100 μM) in Hoagland solution. When 1, 5 or 10 mM JA was added to the treatment with Cu addition, Cu concentrations in roots and leaves of alfalfa were significantly decreased (p < 0.

Influence of short-term macronutrient deprivation in maize on photosynthetic characteristics, transpiration and pigment content.

The aim of the research was to compare the impact of short-term deprivation of selected macronutrients (Ca, K, Mg and P) on the photosynthetic characteristics, transpiration and pigment content in maize. The strongest inhibition of photosynthesis was caused by a deprivation of Mg, which was visible as a decrease in the photosynthetic and transpiration rates, stomatal conductance, photosystem II (PSII) performance, chlorophyll and flavonol content with a simultaneously increased content of anthocyanins. In the K-deprived plants, a decrease in the photosynthetic rate was observed.

Dactylis glomerata L. cultivation on mercury contaminated soil and its physiological response to granular sulphur aided phytostabilization.

Most mercury (Hg) deposition in the environment results from anthropogenic inputs, Chlor-Alkali Plants (CAPs) particularly had a significant Hg impact on the environment at a regional scale. Exposure to mercury compounds resulting in various toxic effects for living organisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of granular sulphur (S) soil amendment and cultivation of Dactylis glomerata to decrease gaseous mercury emission to the atmosphere and mercury mobility in soils affected by CAP activity in the past.

New Miscanthus hybrids cultivated at a Polish metal-contaminated site demonstrate high stomatal regulation and reduced shoot Pb and Cd concentrations.

The increased bioeconomy targets for the biomass share of renewable energy production across Europe should be met using land unsuitable for food production. Miscanthus breeding programs targeted the production of plants with a diverse range of traits allowing a wider utilization of land resources for biofuel production without competing with arable crops. These traits include increasing tolerances to drought, chilling, and to metal(loid)s excess.

How autochthonous microorganisms influence physiological status of Zea mays L. cultivated on heavy metal contaminated soils?

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of autochthonous microorganisms present in soil collected from heavy metal (HM) uncontaminated (Pb ≈ 59 mg kg, Cd ≈ 0.4 mg kg, Zn ≈ 191 mg kg), moderately (Pb ≈ 343 mg kg, Cd ≈ 12 mg kg, Zn ≈ 1876 mg kg), and highly (Pb ≈ 1586 mg kg, Cd ≈ 57 mg kg, Zn ≈ 3280 mg kg) contaminated sites on Zea mays elemental composition, physiological status, and growth parameters. For this purpose, half of the collected soil was sterilized and soil characterization was performed.

Macroelements and heavy metals content in energy crops cultivated on contaminated soil under different fertilization-case studies on autumn harvest.

Heavy metals (HMs) contamination of soils is a major problem occurring worldwide. Utility of energy crops for biofuel feedstock production systems offers a feasible solution for a commercial exploitation of an arable land contaminated with HMs. Experiments involved field testing of Miscanthus x giganteus and Spartina pectinata cultivated on HMs-contaminated soil with standard NPK fertilizers and commercially available microbial inoculum.

Relationships between soil parameters and physiological status of Miscanthus x giganteus cultivated on soil contaminated with trace elements under NPK fertilisation vs. microbial inoculation.

Crop growth and development can be influenced by a range of parameters, soil health, cultivation and nutrient status all play a major role. Nutrient status of plants can be enhanced both through chemical fertiliser additions (e.g.

DArT-based characterisation of genetic diversity in a Miscanthus collection from Poland.

Analysis of 180 accessions of Miscanthus using a DArT platform revealed high diversity. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. × giganteus accessions fall into two genetically distinct groups.

Chlorophyll a fluorescence in evaluation of the effect of heavy metal soil contamination on perennial grasses.

Chlorophyll a fluorescence gives information about the plant physiological status due to its coupling to the photosynthetic electron transfer chain and to the further biochemical processes. Environmental stresses, which acts synergistically, disturbs the photosynthesis. The OJIP test, elaborated by Strasser and co-workers, enables comparison of the physiological status of plants grown on polluted vs.