Low concentration of corn steep liquor promotes seed germination, plant growth, biomass production and flowering in soybean

Yacon is a perennial plant native of the Andesthat stores inulin-type polyfructans as reserve carbohydrates in its tubers. The enzymes that hydrolyze the inulin Î²-2,1 fructose Â linkages are called inulinases and are much used to produce high fructose syrups (HFS) and ethanol. The present study investigated inulinase and biomass production by Kluyveromyces marxianus NRRL Y-7571 using yacon flour as carbon source and corn steep liquor as nitrogen source by a Central Composite Design (CCD) 22 to carry out experiments and Surface Response Methodology (RSM) to analyze the results. The maximum enzyme production was 36.1 U.ml-1 and biomass production was 8.95 g.l-1 under the condition of 7% yacon flour and 2% corn steep liquor. The crude enzyme partial characterization showed that inulinase had optimal pH at 4.0 and optimal temperature at60Â°C. The enzyme maintained over 90% of its activity for four hours at45Â°C and50Â°C.

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Phytase-Producing Rahnella aquatilis JZ-GX1 Promotes Seed Germination and Growth in Corn (Zea mays L.)

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9081647 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 1647

Author(s):

Gui-E Li ◽

Wei-Liang Kong ◽

Xiao-Qin Wu ◽

Shi-Bo Ma

Keyword(s):

Seed Germination ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Biomass Accumulation ◽

Root Surface ◽

Phosphorus Concentration ◽

Maize Seedlings ◽

Total Phosphorus Concentration ◽

Rahnella Aquatilis ◽

Maize Seeds

Phytase plays an important role in crop seed germination and plant growth. In order to fully understand the plant growth-promoting mechanism by Rahnella aquatilis JZ-GX1，the effect of this strain on germination of maize seeds was determined in vitro, and the colonization of maize root by R. aquatilis JZ-GX1 was observed by scanning electron microscope. Different inoculum concentrations and Phytate-related soil properties were applied to investigate the effect of R. aquatilis JZ-GX1 on the growth of maize seedlings. The results showed that R. aquatilis JZ-GX1 could effectively secrete indole acetic acid and had significantly promoted seed germination and root length of maize. A large number of R. aquatilis JZ-GX1 cells colonized on the root surface, root hair and the root interior of maize. When the inoculation concentration was 107 cfu/mL and the insoluble organophosphorus compound phytate existed in the soil, the net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, phytase activity secreted by roots, total phosphorus concentration and biomass accumulation of maize seedlings were the highest. In contrast, no significant effect of inoculation was found when the total P content was low or when inorganic P was sufficient in the soil. R. aquatilis JZ-GX1 promotes the growth of maize directly by secreting IAA and indirectly by secreting phytase. This work provides beneficial information for the development and application of R. aquatilis JZ-GX1 as a microbial fertilizer in the future.

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Effects of Organic Fertilizer on Bok Choy Growth and Quality in Hydroponic Cultures

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11030491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 491

Author(s):

Kazuki Kano ◽

Hiroaki Kitazawa ◽

Keitaro Suzuki ◽

Ani Widiastuti ◽

Hiromitsu Odani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Root ◽

Oxygen Deficiency ◽

Organic Fertilizer ◽

Corn Steep Liquor ◽

Ascorbic Acid Content ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Carbon Nitrogen Ratio ◽

Nitrogen Ratio ◽

Steep Liquor

Effects of corn steep liquor (organic fertilizer, OF) and conventional chemical fertilizer (CF) on the growth and yield of bok choy (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) in summer and autumn hydroponic growing systems were compared. When OF and CF were applied with the same amount of total nitrogen in summer cultivation, there was no significant difference between yields; however, the growth rate in OF was slower than in CF. When OF was applied with twice the amount of nitrogen in CF (OF2), bok choy growth and yield were significantly inhibited in summer cultivation, likely owing to dissolved oxygen deficiency and different rates of nitrification and nitrogen absorbance by the plant root. Although the contents of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in bok choy showed no difference among the three treatments in both cultivation seasons, the carbon/nitrogen ratio tended to be higher in OF and OF2 than in CF. Lower nitric acid and higher ascorbic acid content was found in OF and OF2 than in CF. Overall, our results suggest that a comparable yield is expected by using the same nitrogen amount with a conventional recipe of chemical fertilization in autumn cultivation. However, further improvement of hydroponic management is needed in summer cultivation.

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Can repeated soil amendment with biogas digestates increase soil suppressiveness toward non-specific soil-borne pathogens in agricultural lands?

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170520000393 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

L. M. Manici ◽

F. Caputo ◽

G. A. Cappelli ◽

E. Ceotto

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Amended Soils ◽

Soil Suppressiveness ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Soil Borne Pathogens ◽

The Impact ◽

Plant Biomass Production

Abstract Soil suppressiveness which is the natural ability of soil to support optimal plant growth and health is the resultant of multiple soil microbial components; which implies many difficulties when estimating this soil condition. Microbial benefits for plant health from repeated digestate applications were assessed in three experimental sites surrounding anaerobic biogas plants in an intensively cultivated area of northern Italy. A 2-yr trial was performed in 2017 and 2018 by performing an in-pot plant growth assay, using soil samples taken from two fields for each experimental site, of which one had been repeatedly amended with anaerobic biogas digestate and the other had not. These fields were similar in management and crop sequences (maize was the recurrent crop) for the last 10 yr. Plant growth response in the bioassay was expressed as plant biomass production, root colonization frequency by soil-borne fungi were estimated to evaluate the impact of soil-borne pathogens on plant growth, abundance of Pseudomonas and actinomycetes populations in rhizosphere were estimated as beneficial soil microbial indicators. Repeated soil amendment with digestate increased significantly soil capacity to support plant biomass production as compared to unamended control in both the years. Findings supported evidence that this increase was principally attributable to a higher natural ability of digestate-amended soils to reduce root infection by saprophytic soil-borne pathogens whose inoculum was increased by the recurrent maize cultivation. Pseudomonas and actinomycetes were always more abundant in digestate-amended soils suggesting that both these large bacterial groups were involved in the increase of their natural capacity to control soil-borne pathogens (soil suppressiveness).

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