Decontamination of Chlorpyrifos Residue in Soil by Using Mentha piperita (Lamiales: Lamiaceae) for Phytoremediation and Two Bacterial Strains.

This study utilizes Mentha piperita (MI) for the first time to investigate the uptake and translocation of chlorpyrifos (CPF; 10 µg g-1) from soil, introducing a new approach to improve the efficacy of this technique, which includes using biosurfactants (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) at 107 CFU/mL to degrade CPF under greenhouse conditions. Moreover, antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (Prx), and oxidative stress due to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in MI roots and leaves were evaluated under CPF stress. Our results demonstrated that amending soil with MI and B. subtilis followed by P. aeruginosa significantly reduced CPF levels in the soil (p > 0.05) and enhanced CPF concentrations in MI roots and leaves after 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days of the experiment. Furthermore, CPF showed its longest half-life (t1/2) in soil contaminated solely with CPF, lasting 15.36 days. Conversely, its shortest half-life occurred in soil contaminated with CPF and treated with MI along with B. subtilis, lasting 4.65 days. Soil contaminated with CPF and treated with MI and P. aeruginosa showed a half-life of 7.98 days. The half-life (t1/2) of CPF-contaminated soil with MI alone was 11.41 days. A batch equilibrium technique showed that B. subtilis is better than P. aeruginosa for eliminating CPF from soil in In vitro experiments. Notably, CPF-polluted soil treated with coadministration of MI and the tested bacteria improved the activities of SOD and Prx and reduced H2O2 and MDA compared with CPF-polluted soil treated with MI alone. Our findings demonstrated that using B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa as biosurfactants to augment phytoremediation represents a commendable strategy for enhancing the remediation of CPF contamination in affected sites while reducing the existence of harmful pesticide remnants in crop plants.

A comprehensive overview of eco-friendly bio-fertilizers extracted from living organisms.

Currently, sustainable agriculture involves ecofriendly techniques, which include biofertilization. Biofertilizers increase plant productivity by improving soil fertility and nutrient content. A wide range of living organisms can be applied as biofertilizers and increase soil fertility without causing pollution due to their biodegradability. The organisms can be microorganisms like bacteria, microalgae, and micro fungi or macro organisms like macroalgae, macro fungi, and higher plants. Biofertilizers extracted from living organisms or their residues will be increasingly used rather than chemical fertilizers, which cause heavy metal accumulation in soil. Biofertilizer use aims for sustainable development in agriculture by maintaining the soil. This will mitigate climate change and related impacts and will also lower many serious diseases resulting from pollution such as cancer, liver and renal failure, and immune diseases. This review is a comprehensive overview of biofertilizers extracted from a range of living organisms from the Kingdoms Monera to Plantae and included bacteria, algae, fungi, and higher plants. Organisms that play a vital role in elevating soil nutrients in a safe, cheap, and ecofriendly manner are included in the review to promote their potential commercial application.

Corrigendum to "Assessment of the crop basket around the Egyptian Nile River; Eastern North Africa" [Saudi J. Biol. Sci. 29(10) (2022) 103428].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2022.103428.].

Crop diversification in the Egyptian Nile Region; viewpoint of spatial, climatic, and human features.

Plant diversity is undoubtedly influenced by spatial and climatic factors, as well as others as architecture, human effects, and population percentage. This research demonstrates how site characteristics influence crop species diversity. One hundred eighty-five cultivated centers of 20 governorates forming the Egyptian Nile Region were examined regarding to their crop diversity from March 2021 to March 2022, including 170 crop species, sub-species and varieties. These cultivated centers were classified using two-way cluster analysis (TWCA) into 62 groups according to their floristic composition; and ordinated along the first and second axes of Principal Coordinates Analysis (PCOA) with type of irrigation supply. Group 51 had the uppermost species richness (333.5 species group-1), while group 44 had the uppermost species turnover (9). Eighteen least cultivated species were recorded: 12 species in 2 centers e.g., Actinidia chinensis and Carica papaya and 6 in 3 e.g., Carya illinoinensis and Cyperus papyrus, while 60 species are common in >50 cultivated centers. Significant correlations were depicted between the species richness and X and Y coordinates, while insignificant correlation with area (m2) of each cultivated centre. Precipitation (mm yr-1), relative humidity (%) and temperature (°C) were depicted an insignificant correlation. Species density (Species m-2) was depicted an insignificant correlation, while population percentage had an insignificant correlation. Descriptively, a regular relationship between species diversity and type of irrigation supply and main human activities in each centre was observed.

Assessment of the crop basket around the Egyptian Nile River; Eastern North Africa.

This assessment tends to evaluate the Egyptian crop basket around the Nile River, with a focus on their introduction history. A framework of growth forms, flowering time, sex forms, cultivation duration, propagation methods, economic values, and ecological benefits was used. A side from assessing were global phyto-geographic regions, continental distribution, and biomes. Twenty-four field visits were conducted covering the study area (March 2021 - March 2022) to verify collected data from the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture, and checking the herbarium of Agricultural Museum, Cairo (CAIM). One hundred and ninety-one crops were recorded, of them 170 crops, belonging 101 genera and 45 families, are currently surveyed, while 21 crops are considered a gap, belonging 7 families and 19 genera. The most evaluated family was Fabaceae, while Citrus was the most evaluated genus. Herbaceous plants were the most recorded growth form (66.5 %). Most crops were bisexual, propagated by seeds, and grown in winter (43.5 %). Their flowering activity gradually increases from December reaching a peak in June. Most crops (48.2 %) return to the Pharaonic era, e.g., Aloe vera and Portulaca oleracea. The majority of crops evaluated as foods (80.7 %) and humidity tolerant species (56 %). The Mediterranean and Saharan-Arabian regions were the most represented (42.9 %). Most crops originated in Africa, then Asia. Temperate deciduous forest and subtropical evergreen forest were the major biomes. As the majority of the Egyptian crops return to the Pharaonic era, indicating the relative stability of the Egyptian climate over last years.

Algae as Bio-fertilizers: Between current situation and future prospective.

Bio-fertilization is a sustainable agricultural practice that includes using bio-fertilizers to increase soil nutrient content resulting in higher productivity. Soil micro-flora has been exposed to improve soil fertility and increase biomass productivity and identified as a correct environmentally friendly bio-based fertilizer for pollution-free agricultural applies. The majority of cyanobacteria can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and several species including Anabaena sp., Nostoc sp., and Oscillatoria angustissima is known to be effective cyanobacterial based bio fertilizers. Acutodesmus dimorphus, Spirulina platensis Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus dimorphus, Anabaena azolla, and Nostoc sp. are some of the green microalgae and cyanobacteria species that have been successfully used as bio fertilizers to boost crop growth. Also, Chlorella vulgaris is one of the most commonly used microalgae in bio fertilizer studies. The addition of seaweed species that are Sargassum sp. and Gracilaria verrucosa leads to chemical changes as a soil fertility indicator on clay and sandy soils, and the addition of seaweed conditioner to soil can improve its organic content, return pH to normal, and reduce C/N ratio in both sandy and clay soil. This review provides an effective approach to increase soil fertility via environmentally friendly bio-based fertilizer using micro and macro algae. Instead of the usage of inorganic and organic fertilizers that have polluted impacts to soil as aggregation of heavy metals, in addition to there their human carcinogenic effects.