Effect of Cricket Frass Fertilizer on growth and pod production of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Cricket Frass Fertilizer (CFF) was tested for its efficiency and potential as a fertilizer on the growth of green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in central Madagascar from April 2020 to October 2020. We grew green beans experimentally for 93 days with seven different fertilizer treatments: NPK 200 kg/ha (0.47 g of N/plant), GUANOMAD (guano from bat) 300 kg/ha (0.26 g of N/ plant), CFF 100 kg/ha (0.12 g of N/plant), CFF 200 kg/ha (0.24 g of N/plant), CFF 300 kg/ha (0.38 g of N/plant), CFF 400 kg/ha (0.52 g of N/plant), and no fertilizer (0 g of N/plant). Three plant traits were measured: survival proportion, vegetative biomass, and pod biomass. The survival proportion of plants treated with the highest dose of CFF (400 kg/ha, 88.1%), NPK (79.8%), and GUANOMAD (81.2%) were similar, but plants treated with the former yielded significantly higher vegetative (35.5 g/plant) and pod biomass (11 g/plant). These results suggest that fertilizing green beans with CFF at a 400 kg/ha dose is sufficient for plant survival and growth, and improves pod production. In Madagascar where soil quality is poor, dependence on imported chemical fertilizers (NPK) and other organic fertilizer (GUANOMAD) can be reduced. Cricket Frass Fertilizer can be used as an alternative sustainable fertilizer for beans.

The size and diversity of microbes determine carbon use efficiency in soil.

Soil is home to a multitude of microorganisms from all three domains of life. These organisms and their interactions are crucial in driving the cycling of soil carbon. One key indicator of this process is Microbial Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE), which shows how microbes influence soil carbon storage through their biomass production. Although CUE varies among different microorganisms, there have been few studies that directly examine how biotic factors influence CUE. One such factor could be body size, which can impact microbial growth rates and interactions in soil, thereby influencing CUE. Despite this, evidence demonstrating a direct causal connection between microbial biodiversity and CUE is still scarce. To address these knowledge gaps, we conducted an experiment where we manipulated microbial body size and biodiversity through size-selective filtering. Our findings show that manipulating the structure of the microbial community can reduce CUE by approximately 65%. When we restricted the maximum body size of the microbial community, we observed a reduction in bacterial diversity and functional potential, which in turn lowered the community's CUE. Interestingly, when we included large body size micro-eukarya in the soil, it shifted the soil carbon cycling, increasing CUE by approximately 50% and the soil carbon to nitrogen ratio by about 25%. Our metrics of microbial diversity and community structure were able to explain 36%-50% of the variation in CUE. This highlights the importance of microbial traits, community structure and trophic interactions in mediating soil carbon cycling.

Enhancement of soil aggregation and physical properties through fungal amendments under varying moisture conditions.

Soil structure and aggregation are crucial for soil functionality, particularly under drought conditions. Saprobic soil fungi, known for their resilience in low moisture conditions, are recognized for their influence on soil aggregate dynamics. In this study, we explored the potential of fungal amendments to enhance soil aggregation and hydrological properties across different moisture regimes. We used a selection of 29 fungal isolates, recovered from soils treated under drought conditions and varying in colony density and growth rate, for single-strain inoculation into sterilized soil microcosms under either low or high moisture (≤-0.96 and -0.03 MPa, respectively). After 8 weeks, we assessed soil aggregate formation and stability, along with soil properties such as soil water content, water hydrophobicity, sorptivity, total fungal biomass and water potential. Our findings indicate that fungal inoculation altered soil hydrological properties and improved soil aggregation, with effects varying based on the fungal strains and soil moisture levels. We found a positive correlation between fungal biomass and enhanced soil aggregate formation and stabilization, achieved by connecting soil particles via hyphae and modifying soil aggregate sorptivity. The improvement in soil water potential was observed only when the initial moisture level was not critical for fungal activity. Overall, our results highlight the potential of using fungal inoculation to improve the structure of agricultural soil under drought conditions, thereby introducing new possibilities for soil management in the context of climate change.

Ionic-physical-chemical triple cross-linked all-biomass-based aerogel for thermal insulation applications.

Aerogels, as a unique porous material, are expected to be used as insulation materials to solve the global environmental and energy crisis. Using chitosan, citric acid, pectin and phytic acid as raw materials, an all-biomass-based aerogel with high modulus was prepared by the triple strategy of ionic, physical and chemical cross-linking through directional freezing technique. Based on this three-dimensional network, the aerogel exhibited excellent compressive modulus (24.89 ± 1.76 MPa) over a wide temperature range and thermal insulation properties. In the presence of chitosan, citric acid and phytic acid, the aerogel obtained excellent fire safety (LOI value up to 31.2%) and antibacterial properties (antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli reached 81.98% and 67.43%). In addition, the modified aerogel exhibited excellent hydrophobicity (hydrophobic angle of 146°) and oil-water separation properties. More importantly, the aerogel exhibited a biodegradation rate of up to 40.31% for 35 days due to its all-biomass nature. This work provides a green and sustainable strategy for the production of highly environmentally friendly thermal insulation materials with high strength, flame retardant, antibacterial and hydrophobic properties.

Enhancing phycocyanin yield from Spirulina sp. under salt stress using various extraction methods.

Phycocyanin, a blue-coloured pigment, predominantly found and derived from Spirulina sp., has gained researchers' interest due to its vibrant hues and other attractive properties like antioxidant and anti-microbial. However, the lack of reliable and sustainable phycocyanin extraction strategies without compromising the quality has hindered the scaling up of its production processes for commercial purposes. Here in this study, phycocyanin was extracted from wet and dry biomass Spirulina sp., using three different physical cell disruption methods (ultrasonication, homogenization, and freeze-thaw cycles) combined with two different buffers (phosphate buffer and acetate buffer) and water (as control). The result showed that the freeze-thaw method combined with acetate buffer produced the highest yield (25.013 ± 2.572 mg/100 mg) with a purity ratio of 0.806 ± 0.079. Furthermore, when subjected to 30% w/v salt stress, 1.9 times higher phycocyanin yield with a purity ratio of 1.402 ± 0.609 was achieved using the previously optimized extraction method.

Influence of Different Rates of Plant-Based Compost on Clay Soil Metal Behavior and Human Health Risk Assessment in Moringa oleifera Leaf Biomass.

An investigation of the impact of adding plant-based organic compost to clay soil from a Moringa oleifera farm focusing on the metal content, bioavailability, and accumulation of nutrients in M. oleifera leaves was conducted. Clay soil was mixed with 15%, 30%, 45% and 60% plant-based organic compost (by volume) in 20 cm wide, 2 L pots. Moringa oleifera plants were planted in four replicates of each treatment and control group. Results revealed that the addition of compost significantly (P < 0.05) altered the concentration of metals in the soil. Correspondingly, accumulation of nutrients in M. oleifera leaves increased with the addition of compost to the soil, except for cobalt and chromium. Trace elements had minimal bioavailability in the amended soils, and their presence in the leaves was lower than the permissible trace metal levels in food. The 30% combination had the highest concentration of calcium (45 042.5 mg/kg), magnesium (17430.0 mg/kg) and phosphorous (8802. 5 mg/kg) in M. oleifera leaves. The study concluded the addition of compost improved bioavailability of nutrients in the soil and their concentration in M. oleifera leaves. The target hazard quotients for heavy metals was less than one, indicating that M. oleifera leaf biomass harvested from soil amended with plant-based compost is safe for human consumption. These results serve as guidelines for recommended organic certification requiremets where plant-based compost is often used in the fast-growing herbal industry.

High production of ectoine from methane in genetically engineered Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z by preventing ectoine degradation.

BACKGROUND: Methane is a greenhouse gas with a significant potential to contribute to global warming. The biological conversion of methane to ectoine using methanotrophs represents an environmentally and economically beneficial technology, combining the reduction of methane that would otherwise be combusted and released into the atmosphere with the production of value-added products. RESULTS: In this study, high ectoine production was achieved using genetically engineered Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z, a methanotrophic ectoine-producing bacterium, by knocking out doeA, which encodes a putative ectoine hydrolase, resulting in complete inhibition of ectoine degradation. Ectoine was confirmed to be degraded by doeA to N-α-acetyl-L-2,4-diaminobutyrate under nitrogen depletion conditions. Optimal copper and nitrogen concentrations enhanced biomass and ectoine production, respectively. Under optimal fed-batch fermentation conditions, ectoine production proportionate with biomass production was achieved, resulting in 1.0 g/L of ectoine with 16 g/L of biomass. Upon applying a hyperosmotic shock after high-cell-density culture, 1.5 g/L of ectoine was obtained without further cell growth from methane. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the optimization of a method for the high production of ectoine from methane by preventing ectoine degradation. To our knowledge, the final titer of ectoine obtained by M. alcaliphilum 20ZDP3 was the highest in the ectoine production from methane to date. This is the first study to propose ectoine production from methane applying high cell density culture by preventing ectoine degradation.

Understanding exopolysaccharide byproduct formation in Komagataella phaffii fermentation processes for recombinant protein production.

BACKGROUND: Komagataella phaffii (Pichia pastoris) has emerged as a common and robust biotechnological platform organism, to produce recombinant proteins and other bioproducts of commercial interest. Key advantage of K. phaffii is the secretion of recombinant proteins, coupled with a low host protein secretion. This facilitates downstream processing, resulting in high purity of the target protein. However, a significant but often overlooked aspect is the presence of an unknown polysaccharide impurity in the supernatant. Surprisingly, this impurity has received limited attention in the literature, and its presence and quantification are rarely addressed. RESULTS: This study aims to quantify this exopolysaccharide in high cell density recombinant protein production processes and identify its origin. In stirred tank fed-batch fermentations with a maximal cell dry weight of 155 g/L, the polysaccharide concentration in the supernatant can reach up to 8.7 g/L. This level is similar to the achievable target protein concentration. Importantly, the results demonstrate that exopolysaccharide production is independent of the substrate and the protein production process itself. Instead, it is directly correlated with biomass formation and proportional to cell dry weight. Cell lysis can confidently be ruled out as the source of this exopolysaccharide in the culture medium. Furthermore, the polysaccharide secretion can be linked to a mutation in the HOC1 gene, featured by all derivatives of strain NRRL Y-11430, leading to a characteristic thinner cell wall. CONCLUSIONS: This research sheds light on a previously disregarded aspect of K. phaffii fermentations, emphasizing the importance of monitoring and addressing the exopolysaccharide impurity in biotechnological applications, independent of the recombinant protein produced.

Alpha-glucans from bacterial necromass indicate an intra-population loop within the marine carbon cycle.

Phytoplankton blooms provoke bacterioplankton blooms, from which bacterial biomass (necromass) is released via increased zooplankton grazing and viral lysis. While bacterial consumption of algal biomass during blooms is well-studied, little is known about the concurrent recycling of these substantial amounts of bacterial necromass. We demonstrate that bacterial biomass, such as bacterial alpha-glucan storage polysaccharides, generated from the consumption of algal organic matter, is reused and thus itself a major bacterial carbon source in vitro and during a diatom-dominated bloom. We highlight conserved enzymes and binding proteins of dominant bloom-responder clades that are presumably involved in the recycling of bacterial alpha-glucan by members of the bacterial community. We furthermore demonstrate that the corresponding protein machineries can be specifically induced by extracted alpha-glucan-rich bacterial polysaccharide extracts. This recycling of bacterial necromass likely constitutes a large-scale intra-population energy conservation mechanism that keeps substantial amounts of carbon in a dedicated part of the microbial loop.

Design of a sustainable system for wastewater treatment and generation of biofuels based on the biomass of the aquatic plant Eichhornia Crassipes.

Colombia's continuous contamination of water resources and the low alternatives to produce biofuels have affected the fulfillment of the objectives of sustainable development, deteriorating the environment and affecting the economic productivity of this country. Due to this reality, projects on environmental and economic sustainability, phytoremediation, and the production of biofuels such as ethanol and hydrogen were combined. The objective of this article was to design and develop a sustainable system for wastewater treatment and the generation of biofuels based on the biomass of the aquatic plant Eichhornia crassipes. A system that simulates an artificial wetland with live E. crassipes plants was designed and developed, removing organic matter contaminants; subsequently, and continuing the sustainability project, bioreactors were designed, adapted, and started up to produce bioethanol and biohydrogen with the hydrolyzed biomass used in the phytoremediation process, generating around 12 g/L of bioethanol and around 81 ml H2/g. The proposed research strategy suggests combining two sustainable methods, bioremediation and biofuel production, to preserve the natural beauty of water systems and their surroundings.

The potential of durum wheat-chickpea intercropping to improve the soil available phosphorus status and biomass production in a subtropical climate.

The intercropping system is a promising approach to augmenting the soil nutrient status and promoting sustainable crop production. However, it is not known whether intercropping improves the soil phosphorus (P) status in alluvial soils with low P under subtropical climates. Over two growing seasons--2019-2020 and 2020-2021--two experimental fields were employed to explore the effect of durum wheat (Dw) and chickpea (Cp) cropping systems on the soil available P. A randomized complete block design was used in this experiment, with three blocks each divided into three plots. Each plot was used for one of the following three treatments with three replications: Dw monocrop (Dw-MC), Cp monocrop (Cp-MC), and Dw + Cp intercrop (CpDw-InC), with bulk soil (BS) used as a control. A reduction in the rhizosphere soil pH (-0.44 and -0.11 unit) was observed in the (Cp-MC) and (CpDw-InC) treatments over BS, occurring concomitantly with a significant increase in available P in the rhizosphere soil of around 28.45% for CpDw-InC and 24.9% for Cp-MC over BS. Conversely, the rhizosphere soil pH was significantly higher (+0.12 units) in the Dw-MC treatments. In addition, intercropping enhanced the soil microbial biomass P, with strong positive correlations observed between the biomass P and available P in the Cp-MC treatment, whereas this correlation was negative in the CpDw-InC and Dw-MC treatments. These findings suggested that Cp intercropped with Dw could be a viable approach in enhancing the available P through improved pH variation and biomass P when cultivated on alluvial soil under a subtropical climate.

The effect of diversity on disease reverses from dilution to amplification in a 22-year biodiversity × N × CO2 experiment.

Plant disease often increases with N, decreases with CO2, and increases as biodiversity is lost (i.e., the dilution effect). Additionally, all these factors can indirectly alter disease by changing host biomass and hence density-dependent disease transmission. Yet over long periods of time as communities undergo compositional changes, these biomass-mediated pathways might fade, intensify, or even reverse in direction. Using a field experiment that has manipulated N, CO2, and species richness for over 20 years, we compared severity of a specialist rust fungus (Puccinia andropogonis) on its grass host (Andropogon gerardii) shortly after the experiment began (1999) and twenty years later (2019). Between these two sampling periods, two decades apart, we found that disease severity consistently increased with N and decreased with CO2. However, the relationship between diversity and disease reversed from a dilution effect in 1999 (more severe disease in monocultures) to an amplification effect in 2019 (more severe disease in mixtures). The best explanation for this reversal centered on host density (i.e., aboveground biomass), which was initially highest in monoculture, but became highest in mixtures two decades later. Thus, the diversity-disease pattern reversed, but disease consistently increased with host biomass. These results highlight the consistency of N and CO2 as drivers of plant disease in the Anthropocene and emphasize the critical role of host biomass-despite potentially variable effects of diversity-for relationships between biodiversity and disease.

Multi-vehicle adaptive 3D mapping for targeted ocean sampling.

Expanding spatial presentation from two-dimensional profile transects to three-dimensional ocean mapping is key for a better understanding of ocean processes. Phytoplankton distributions can be highly patchy and the accurate identification of these patches with the context, variability, and uncertainty of measurements on relevant scales is difficult to achieve. Traditional sampling methods, such as plankton nets, water samplers and in-situ vertical sensors, provide a snapshot and often miss the fine-scale horizontal and temporal variability. Here, we show how two autonomous underwater vehicles measured, adapted to, and reported real-time chlorophyll a measurements, giving insights into the spatiotemporal distribution of phytoplankton biomass and patchiness. To gain the maximum available information within their sensing scope, the vehicles moved in an adaptive fashion, looking for the regions of the highest predicted chlorophyll a concentration, the greatest uncertainty, and the least possibility of collision with other underwater vehicles and ships. The vehicles collaborated by exchanging data with each other and operators via satellite, using a common segmentation of the area to maximize information exchange over the limited bandwidth of the satellite. Importantly, the use of multiple autonomous underwater vehicles reporting real-time data combined with targeted sampling can provide better match with sampling towards understanding of plankton patchiness and ocean processes.

Rice husk reuse as a sustainable energy alternative in Tolima, Colombia.

Colombia has great potential to produce clean energy through the use of residual biomass from the agricultural sector, such as residues obtained from the life cycle of rice production. This document presents a mixed approach methodology study to examine the combustion of rice husks as a possible energy alternative in the Tolima department of Colombia. First, the physicochemical characteristics of the rice husk were analyzed to characterize the raw material. Next, System Advisor Model (SAM) software was used to model a bioenergy plant to obtain biochar, bio-oil, and biogas from the combustion of rice husks and generate performance matrices, such as thermal efficiency, heat rate, and capacity factor. Then, the project was evaluated for financial feasibility using a mathematical model of net present value (NPV) with a planning horizon of 5 years. Finally, a subset of the local population was surveyed to assess perspectives on the project in the region. The results of the rice husk physicochemical analysis were the following: nitrogen content (0.74%), organic carbon (38.04%), silica (18.39%), humidity determination (7.68%), ash (19.4%), presence of carbonates (< 0.01%), and pH (6.41). These properties are adequate for the combustion process. The SAM simulation showed that the heat transferred in the boiler was 3180 kW, maintaining an efficiency between 50 and 52% throughout the 12 months of the year, meaning that the rice husk can generate electricity and thermal energy. The financial analysis showed that the internal rate of return (IRR) was 6% higher than the opportunity interest rate (OIR), demonstrating economic feasibility of the project. The design and creation of a rice husk processing plant is socially and environmentally viable and has the potential to contribute to the economic development of the Tolima community and reduce greenhouse gases. Likewise, this activity has the potential to promote energy security for consumers and environmental sustainability while at the same time being economically competitive.

ß-Carotene production from sugarcane molasses by a newly isolated Rhodotorula toruloides L/24-26-1.

Production of carotenoids by yeast fermentation is an advantaged technology due to its easy scaling and safety. Nevertheless, carotenoid production needs an economic culture medium and other efficient yeast stains. The study aims to isolate and identify a yeast strain capable of producing carotenoids using a cost-effective substrate. A new strain was identified as Rhodotorula toruloides L/24-26-1, which can produce carotenoids at different pretreated and unpretreated sugarcane molasses concentrations (40 and 80 g/L). The highest biomass concentration (18.6 ± 0.6 g/L) was reached in the culture using 80 g/L of hydrolyzed molasses. On the other hand, the carotenoid accumulation reached the maximum value using pretreated molasses at 40 g/L (715.4 ± 15.1 µg/g d.w). In this case, the ß-carotene was 1.5 times higher than that on the control medium. The yeast growth in molasses was not correlated with carotenoid production. The most outstanding production of The DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP tests demonstrated the antioxidant activity of the obtained carotenogenic extracts. This research demonstrated the R. toruloides L/24-26-1 strain biotechnological potential for carotenoid compounds. The yeast produces carotenoids with antioxidant activity in an inexpensive medium, such as sulfuric acid pretreated and unpretreated molasses.

Monitoring insect numbers and biodiversity with a vertical-beam entomological radar.

Concerns about perceived widespread declines in insect numbers have led to recognition of a requirement for long-term monitoring of insect biodiversity. Here we examine whether an existing, radar-based, insect monitoring system developed for research on insect migration could be adapted to this role. The radar detects individual larger (greater than 10 mg) insects flying at heights of 150-2550 m and estimates their size and mass. It operates automatically and almost continuously through both day and night. Accumulation of data over a 'half-month' (approx. 15 days) averages out weather effects and broadens the source area of the wind-borne observation sample. Insect counts are scaled or interpolated to compensate for missed observations; adjustment for variation of detectability with range and insect size is also possible. Size distributions for individual days and nights exhibit distinct peaks, representing different insect types, and Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indices of biodiversity are calculated from these. Half-month count, biomass and index statistics exhibit variations associated with the annual cycle and year to year changes that can be attributed to drought and periods of high rainfall. While species-based biodiversity measures cannot be provided, the radar's capacity to estimate insect biomass over a wide area indicates utility for tracking insect population sizes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.

A novel GH3-ß-glucosidase from soda lake metagenomic libraries with desirable properties for biomass degradation.

Beta-glucosidases catalyze the hydrolysis of the glycosidic bonds of cellobiose, producing glucose, which is a rate-limiting step in cellulose biomass degradation. In industrial processes, ß-glucosidases that are tolerant to glucose and stable under harsh industrial reaction conditions are required for efficient cellulose hydrolysis. In this study, we report the molecular cloning, Escherichia coli expression, and functional characterization of a ß-glucosidase from the gene, CelGH3_f17, identified from metagenomics libraries of an Ethiopian soda lake. The CelGH3_f17 gene sequence contains a glycoside hydrolase family 3 catalytic domain (GH3). The heterologous expressed and purified enzyme exhibited optimal activity at 50 °C and pH 8.5. In addition, supplementation of 1 M salt and 300 mM glucose enhanced the ß-glucosidase activity. Most of the metal ions and organic solvents tested did not affect the ß-glucosidase activity. However, Cu2+ and Mn2+ ions, Mercaptoethanol and Triton X-100 reduce the activity of the enzyme. The studied ß-glucosidase enzyme has multiple industrially desirable properties including thermostability, and alkaline, salt, and glucose tolerance.

Atlas of phytoplankton phenology indices in selected Eastern Mediterranean marine ecosystems.

Phytoplankton is a fundamental component of marine food webs and play a crucial role in marine ecosystem functioning. The phenology (timing of growth) of these microscopic algae is an important ecological indicator that can be utilized to observe its seasonal dynamics, and assess its response to environmental perturbations. Ocean colour remote sensing is currently the only means of obtaining synoptic estimates of chlorophyll-a (a proxy of phytoplankton biomass) at high temporal and spatial resolution, enabling the calculation of phenology metrics. However, ocean colour observations have acknowledged weaknesses compromising its reliability, while the scarcity of long-term in situ data has impeded the validation of satellite-derived phenology estimates. To address this issue, we compared one of the longest available in situ time series (20 years) of chlorophyll-a concentrations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS), along with concurrent remotely-sensed observations. The comparison revealed a marked coherence between the two datasets, indicating the capability of satellite-based measurements in accurately capturing the phytoplankton seasonality and phenology metrics (i.e., timing of initiation, duration, peak and termination) in the studied area. Furthermore, by studying and validating these metrics we constructed a satellite-derived phytoplankton phenology atlas, reporting in detail the seasonal patterns in several sub-regions in coastal and open seas over the EMS. The open waters host higher concentrations from late October to April, with maximum levels recorded during February and lowest during the summer period. The phytoplankton growth over the Northern Aegean Sea appeared to initiate at least a month later than the rest of the EMS (initiating in late November and terminating in late May). The coastal waters and enclosed gulfs (such as Amvrakikos and Maliakos), exhibit a distinct seasonal pattern with consistently higher levels of chlorophyll-a and prolonged growth period compared to the open seas. The proposed phenology atlas represents a useful resource for monitoring phytoplankton growth periods in the EMS, supporting water quality management practices, while enhancing our current comprehension on the relationships between phytoplankton biomass and higher trophic levels (as a food source).

Biosorption of arsenic (III) from aqueous solution using calcium alginate immobilized dead biomass of Acinetobacter sp. strain Sp2b.

This study presents a novel biosorbent developed by immobilizing dead Sp2b bacterial biomass into calcium alginate (CASp2b) to efficiently remove arsenic (AsIII) from contaminated water. The bacterium Sp2b was isolated from arsenic-contaminated industrial soil of Punjab, a state in India. The strain was designated Acinetobacter sp. strain Sp2b as per the 16S rDNA sequencing, GenBank accession number -OP010048.The CASp2b was used for the biosorption studies after an initial screening for the biosorption capacity of Sp2b biomass with immobilized biomass in both live and dead states. The optimum biosorption conditions were examined in batch experimentations with contact time, pH, biomass, temperature, and AsIII concentration variables. The maximum biosorption capacity (qmax = 20.1 ± 0.76 mg/g of CA Sp2b) was obtained at pH9, 35 ̊ C, 20 min contact time, and 120 rpm agitation speed. The isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic modeling of the experimental data favored Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.941) and pseudo-2nd-order kinetics (R2 = 0.968) with endothermic nature (ΔH° = 27.42) and high randomness (ΔS° = 58.1).The scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) analysis indicated the As surface binding. The reusability study revealed the reasonable usage of beads up to 5 cycles. In conclusion, CASp2b is a promising, efficient, eco-friendly biosorbent for AsIII removal from contaminated water.

Combined application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and selenium fertilizer increased wheat biomass under cadmium stress and shapes rhizosphere soil microbial communities.

BACKGROUND: Selenium (Se) fertilizer and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to modulate cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants. However, the effects of their co-application on wheat growth and soil microbial communities in Cd-contaminated soil are unclear. RESULTS: A pot experiment inoculation with two types of AMF and the application of Se fertilizer under Cd stress in wheat showed that inoculation AMF alone or combined with Se fertilizer significantly increased wheat biomass. Se and AMF alone or in combination significantly reduced available Cd concentration in wheat and soil, especially in the Se combined with Ri treatment. High throughput sequencing of soil samples indicated that Se and AMF application had stronger influence on bacterial community compared to fungal community and the bacterial network seemed to have more complex interconnections than the fungal network, and finally shaped the formation of specific microflora to affect Cd availability. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the application of Se and AMF, particularly in combination, could successfully decrease soil Cd availability and relieve the harm of Cd in wheat by modifying rhizosphere soil microbial communities.