Advancing the science and practice of ecological nutrient management for smallholder farmers

Sieglinde Snapp (2022, [Artículo])

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGROECOLOGY DEGRADATION NUTRIENT CYCLES NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY SOIL ORGANIC MATTER SMALLHOLDERS

Climate-smart agricultural practices influence the fungal communities and soil properties under major agri-food systems

madhu choudhary ML JAT Parbodh Chander Sharma (2022, [Artículo])

Fungal communities in agricultural soils are assumed to be affected by climate, weather, and anthropogenic activities, and magnitude of their effect depends on the agricultural activities. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the impact of the portfolio of management practices on fungal communities and soil physical–chemical properties. The study comprised different climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based management scenarios (Sc) established on the principles of conservation agriculture (CA), namely, ScI is conventional tillage-based rice–wheat rotation, ScII is partial CA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIII is partial CSA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIV is partial CSA-based maize–wheat–mungbean, and ScV and ScVI are CSA-based scenarios and similar to ScIII and ScIV, respectively, except for fertigation method. All the scenarios were flood irrigated except the ScV and ScVI where water and nitrogen were given through subsurface drip irrigation. Soils of these scenarios were collected from 0 to 15 cm depth and analyzed by Illumina paired-end sequencing of Internal Transcribed Spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) for the study of fungal community composition. Analysis of 5 million processed sequences showed a higher Shannon diversity index of 1.47 times and a Simpson index of 1.12 times in maize-based CSA scenarios (ScIV and ScVI) compared with rice-based CSA scenarios (ScIII and ScV). Seven phyla were present in all the scenarios, where Ascomycota was the most abundant phyla and it was followed by Basidiomycota and Zygomycota. Ascomycota was found more abundant in rice-based CSA scenarios as compared to maize-based CSA scenarios. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen were found to be 1.62 and 1.25 times higher in CSA scenarios compared with other scenarios. Bulk density was found highest in farmers' practice (Sc1); however, mean weight diameter and water-stable aggregates were found lowest in ScI. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties were found better under CSA-based practices, which also increased the wheat grain yield by 12.5% and system yield by 18.8%. These results indicate that bundling/layering of smart agricultural practices over farmers' practices has tremendous effects on soil properties, and hence play an important role in sustaining soil quality/health.

Agriculture Management Fungal Community Diversity Indices Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURE TILLAGE CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON

Diversifying with grain legumes amplifies carbon in management-sensitive soil organic carbon pools on smallholder farms

Regis Chikowo Sieglinde Snapp (2023, [Artículo])

Crop diversification with grain legumes has been advocated as a means to increase agroecological resilience, diversify livelihoods, boost household nutrition, and enhance soil health and fertility in cereal-based cropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a primary indicator of soil health and there is limited data regarding SOC pools and grain legume diversification on smallholder farms where soils are often marginal. In Malawi, a range of legume diversification options are under investigation, including rotations and a doubled-up legume rotation (DLR) system in which two compatible legumes are intercropped and then rotated with a cereal. The impact of the DLR system on SOC has not yet been determined, and there is a lack of evidence regarding SOC status over a gradient of simple to complex grain legume diversified systems. We address this knowledge gap by evaluating these systems in comparison to continuous sole maize (Zea mays L.) at three on-farm trial sites in central Malawi. After six years of trial establishment, we measured SOC in bulk soils and aggregate fractions and in faster cycling SOC pools that respond more rapidly to management practices, including water extractable organic carbon (WEOC), particulate organic matter carbon (POM-C), potentially mineralizable carbon (C), and macroaggregate C. Cropping treatment differences were not seen in bulk SOC or total N, but they were apparent in SOC pools with a shorter turnover time. The DLR system of intercropped pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rotated with maize had higher WEOC, POM-C, potentially mineralizable C, macroaggregate and microaggregate C values than continuous maize. Of the single legume rotations, the pigeonpea-maize rotation had more mineralizable C and microaggregate C compared to continuous maize, while the groundnut-maize rotation had similar C values to the maize system. Overall, this study shows the potential for crop rotations diversified with grain legumes to enhance C in management sensitive SOC pools, and it is one of the first reports to show this effect on smallholder farm sites.

Crop Diversification Water Extractable Organic Carbon CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DIVERSIFICATION LEGUMES PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATTER SOIL ORGANIC CARBON

Estudio de remoción en biofiltros no convencionales

Edson Baltazar Estrada Arriaga (2017, [Documento de trabajo])

La metodología utilizada para este estudio fue la implementación del método espectrofotométrico UV para la cuantificación de fármacos. Se presenta la forma del montaje del sistema de biofiltración y pruebas abióticas, así como su evaluación.

Remoción de contaminantes Filtros biológicos Compuestos orgánicos emergentes INGENIERÍA Y TECNOLOGÍA

Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe

Regis Chikowo Christian Thierfelder Marc Corbeels (2024, [Artículo])

Conservation agriculture (CA), combining reduced or no tillage, permanent soil cover, and improved rotations, is often promoted as a climate-smart practice. However, our understanding of the impact of CA and its respective three principles on top- and subsoil organic carbon stocks in the low-input cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa is rather limited. This study was conducted at two long-term experimental sites established in Zimbabwe in 2013. The soil types were abruptic Lixisols at Domboshava Training Centre (DTC) and xanthic Ferralsol at the University of Zimbabwe farm (UZF). The following six treatments, which were replicated four times, were investigated: conventional tillage (CT), conventional tillage with rotation (CTR), no tillage (NT), no tillage with mulch (NTM), no tillage with rotation (NTR), and no tillage with mulch and rotation (NTMR). Maize (Zea mays L.) was the main crop, and treatments with rotation included cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.). The soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and soil bulk density were determined for samples taken from depths of 0–5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–75 and 75–100 cm. Cumulative organic inputs to the soil were also estimated for all treatments. SOC stocks at equivalent soil mass were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the NTM, NTR and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm and top 10 cm layers at UZF, while SOC stocks were only significantly higher in the NTM and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm at DTC. NT alone had a slightly negative impact on the top SOC stocks. Cumulative SOC stocks were not significantly different between treatments when considering the whole 100 cm soil profile. Our results show the overarching role of crop residue mulching in CA cropping systems with respect to enhancing SOC stocks but also that this effect is limited to the topsoil. The highest cumulative organic carbon inputs to the soil were observed in NTM treatments at the two sites, and this could probably explain the positive effect on SOC stocks. Moreover, our results show that the combination of at least two CA principles including mulch is required to increase SOC stocks in these low-nitrogen-input cropping systems.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT

EVALUACIÓN DE LA ACTIVIDAD Y EXPRESIÓN GÉNICA DE ENZIMAS ANTIOXIDANTES (SOD, GPX, GST, GR y CAT) COMO BIOMARCADORES DE EXPOSICIÓN A FTALATOS EN CULTIVO CELULAR

Elizabeth Brassea Pérez (2023, [Tesis de doctorado])

"El plastificante bis(2-etilhexilo) ftalato (DEHP) altera el equilibrio entre la producción de especies reactivas de oxígeno y las defensas antioxidantes. A pesar de la información disponible sobre los efectos tóxicos del DEHP en organismos modelo, la respuesta celular al DEHP en especies naturalmente adaptadas para tolerar el estrés oxidativo aún no se ha explorado. Los mamíferos marinos están naturalmente adaptados para hacer frente al estrés oxidativo derivado de la isquemia/reperfusión inducida por el buceo. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar los cambios en los indicadores de estrés oxidativo asociados al DEHP en células de músculo esquelético de humanos (Homo sapiens sapiens) y lobos marinos de California (Zalophus californianus). Se recolectaron muestras de músculo abdominal de mujeres sanas sometidas a cesárea programada, tras obtener su consentimiento informado. Las muestras de músculo de lobo marino se obtuvieron de crías encontradas recientemente muertas en la colonia de Los Islotes, Golfo de California. Las células de músculo esquelético se aislaron y cultivaron en condiciones estándar. Las células se dividieron en dos grupos. Un grupo fue expuesto a DEHP (1 mM) durante 13 días (n=25; exposición), el otro grupo se mantuvo bajo condiciones control, es decir sin DEHP añadido (n=25; control). Se midió la producción de radical superóxido (O2•-), el daño oxidativo, la actividad de enzimas antioxidantes y la expresión génica mediante métodos espectrofotométricos y RT-qPCR. En células expuestas al DEHP la producción de O2•- y la actividad de superóxido dismutasa (SOD) fueron mayores que en las células bajo condiciones control para ambas especies. La actividad de glutatión S-transferasa (GST) y los niveles de carbonilos proteicos (PC) aumentaron significativamente en las células humanas expuestas a DEHP, y no significativamente en las células de lobo marino. Por el contrario, las actividades de glutatión peroxidasa (GPx) y catalasa (CAT) aumentaron significativamente en las células de lobo marino, pero no en las de humano expuestas a DEHP. Se observó una expresión diferencial de los genes implicados en el metabolismo redox entre las células control y expuestas a DEHP y entre especies. Los patrones de expresión de 26 y 19 genes fueron significativamente diferentes en las células humanas y de lobo marino, respectivamente, después de la exposición a DEHP. En las células humanas, la expresión de la GST1 microsomal y la GST (κ, μ, θ, ω y ᴢ) fue mayor,

"The plasticizer bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) dysregulates the balance between reactive oxygen species production and antioxidant defenses. Despite the information available on DEHP’s hazardous effects in model species, the cellular response to DEHP in organisms naturally adapted to tolerate oxidative stress remains unexplored. Marine mammals are naturally adapted to cope with oxidative stress derived from diving-induced ischemia/reperfusion. The objective of this study was to compare changes in oxidative stress indicators induced by DEHP in human (Homo sapiens sapiens) and California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) skeletal muscle cells. Abdominal muscle samples were collected from healthy women undergoing planned cesarean surgery at full term after obtaining informed consent. Sea lion muscle samples were obtained from recently deceased pups at Los Islotes rookery, Gulf of California. Skeletal muscle cells were isolated and cultured under standard conditions. Cells were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to 1 mM DEHP for 13 days (n=25; treatment), and the other served as a control (n=25; no DEHP). Superoxide radical (O2•-) production, oxidative damage, antioxidant enzyme activities and gene expression were measured using spectrophotometric methods and RT-qPCR. DEHP exposure increased O2•- production and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in both species. While the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) and protein carbonyls (PC) levels significantly increased in human cells, these indicators showed a non-significant elevation in sea lion cells. In contrast, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) activities increased significantly in sea lion but not in human cultures exposed to DEHP. Genes involved in redox metabolism showed differential expression between treatments and species. DEHP exposure led to widespread modifications in gene expression patterns, with 26 and 19 differentially expressed genes in human and sea lion cells, respectively. In human cells, DEHP increased GST1 and GST (κ, μ, θ, ω, and ᴢ), while suppressing 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (OGG1), CAT, GR, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) expression, suggesting increased oxidative stress and phase two detoxification processes. In contrast, DEHP increased OGG1, NRF2, GPx2 and SOD3 expression, suggesting that DEHP activates antioxidant defenses in sea lion cells, potentially contributing to maintain redox homeostasis and avoid oxidative...

Contaminantes emergentes, enzimas antioxidantes, estrés oxidativo, mamíferos, Una Salud Antioxidant enzymes, emerging pollutants, mammals, One Health, oxidative stress BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA QUÍMICA BIOQUÍMICA ENZIMOLOGIA ENZIMOLOGIA

Multiplication of native endomycorrhizae isolated from arid soils on organic substrates in wheat plants (Triticum aestivum)

JOSÉ RAFAEL PAREDES JÁCOME ROSALINDA MENDOZA VILLARREAL ROBERTO GREGORIO CHIQUITO CONTRERAS Luis Guillermo Hernández Montiel VALENTIN ROBLEDO TORRES Homero Ramírez Rodríguez (2023, [Artículo])

"Purpose Organic residues of coffee pulp, sugarcane bagasse and mature bovine manure are a source of organic matter and nutrients for the multiplication of endomycorrhizae consortia. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to multiply the AMFs in such substrates to decrease soil and water pollution. Method A pot experiment under greenhouse conditions was conducted in order to evaluate the influence of agricultural residues (C2-GEC, C3-PAR, C12-PRO, C14-ZAR) with different genera of endomycorrhizae isolated from semi-arid soils, 75 days after the crop was established. Agronomic characteristics and mineral content of N, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe in root and shoot were evaluated in wheat (Triticum aestivum). Results Multiplication of endomycorrhizae was influenced by the residue type. Greater production of spores was ob-served in the coffee pulp, followed by the sugarcane bagasse, where a higher colonization was obtained in combination of C2-GEC and C3-PAR consortia. This consortia combination also was one of those that have increased the content of N, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe in roots and shoots of wheat.Conclusion Combination of native endomycorrhiza substrates and consortia provides an alternative tool that benefits the physiology and nutrition of the plant to be used in sustainable agricultural production systems."

Coffee pulp, Sugarcane bagasse, Bovine manure, Mycorrhizal fungi, Organic waste CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGRARIAS AGRONOMÍA FERTILIDAD DEL SUELO FERTILIDAD DEL SUELO