Organic fertilization and mycorrhization increase copper phytoremediation by Canavalia ensiformis in a sandy soil.

Organic fertilization and mycorrhization can increase the phytoremediation of copper-contaminated soils. The time of vermicomposting alters the properties of vermicompost, which can affect copper's availability and uptake. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the effect of different organic fertilizers and mycorrhization on copper-contaminated soil phytoremediation. The soil was contaminated with 100 mg Cu kg-1 dry soil and received mineral fertilizer (MIN), bovine manure (CM), and vermicompost produced in 45 days (V45) or 120 days (V120), all in doses equivalent to 40 mg kg-1 dry soil of phosphorus. Half of the jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) plants were inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus clarus. At plant flowering, the dry mass and concentrations of Cu, Zn, Mn, Ca, Mg, P, and K in the soil, solution, and plant tissue were determined, in addition to mycorrhizal colonization, nodulation, photosynthetic pigments, and oxidative stress enzyme activity. Organic fertilization increased plant growth and copper accumulation in aerial tissues. These effects were more evident with the V120, making it suitable for use in copper phytoextraction. Mycorrhization increased root and nodule dry mass, making it recommended for phytostabilization. C. ensiformis nodulation in Cu-contaminated soils depends on vermicompost fertilization and mycorrhization. Hence, the copper phytoremediation by C. ensiformis is increased by using organic fertilization and mycorrhization.

Host status of morning-glory (Ipomoea spp.) to Meloidogyne species.

Weeds can be hosting and alternative multipliers of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Among the main weeds, species of the genus Ipomoea stands out for their cosmopolitan presence and the negative impact on crops. In addition, they can behave as hosts and promote the reproduction of pests, diseases, and nematodes. However, the ability of Meloidogyne nematodes to infect morning-glory (Ipomoea spp.) is little understood. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the reproduction of M. arenaria, M. enterolobii, M. ethiopica, M. hapla, M. incognita, M. javanica, M. luci, and M. morocciensis in I. grandifolia, I. hederifolia, I. nil, I. purpurea, and I. quamoclit. Plants were individually inoculated with 5,000 eggs and second-stage juveniles and kept in a greenhouse for 60 days. The design was completely randomized with six repetitions. After this period, the root system of each plant was evaluated to gall index (IG) and reproduction factor (RF). It was verified that the eight species of Melodoigyne have the capacity to parasitize I. grandifolia, I. hederifolia, I. nil, I. purpurea, and I. quamoclit, showing the susceptibility of these weeds to the plant-parasitic nematodes. The highest RF were observed for M. enterolobii with values of 12.5 and 12.9 for I. quamoclit and I. hederifolia, respectively. While M. arenaria obtained the lowest values, with RF ≤ 4.0 for all species of Ipomoea. Thus, weed species of the Ipomoea genus are potential hosts and multipliers of root-knot nematodes, making it important to be considered in integrated management strategies for these plant-parasitic nematodes.

First report of Meloidogyne javanica (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae) infecting Scoparia dulcis, a medicinal plant in Brazil.

Medicinal plants Scoparia dulcis showing symptoms caused by root-knot nematodes were detected in the municipality of Cachoeira do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Based on the morphological, esterase phenotypes, and molecular analyses of the mitochondrial DNA region between the cytochome oxidase subunit II and 16S rRNA genes (mtDNA) and species-specific sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR), the causal agent of the observed symptoms was identified as Meloidogyne javanica. Pathogenicity was confirmed by fulfilling a modified version of Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. javanica infecting S. dulcis in Brazil.

Co-production of Proteases and Bioactive Protein Hydrolysates from Bioprocessing of Feather Meal

Abstract: Feather meal conversion through submerged cultivations with Bacillus strains (CL33A, CL14) yielded proteases and protein hydrolysates. After 4-day (CL33A) and 10-day (CL14) cultivations, protease activities reached 461 U/mL; hydrolysates presented antioxidant (radicals-scavenging, 57-77%; Fe2+-chelation, 14-28%; Fe3+-reduction) and antidiabetic (dipeptidyl peptidase-IV inhibition, 49-52%) potentials. The obtained bioproducts present prospective commercial/industrial applications.

Protease production by the keratinolytic Bacillus sp. CL18 through feather bioprocessing.

Bacillus sp. CL18 was investigated to propose a bioprocess for protease production using feathers as organic substrate. In feather broth (FB), containing feathers as sole organic substrate (1-100 g l-1), maximal protease production was observed at 30 g l-1 (FB30) after 6 days of cultivation, whereas increased feather concentrations negatively affected protease production and feather degradation. Protease production peaks were always observed earlier during cultivations than maximal feather degradation. In FB30, 80% of initial feathers mass were degraded after 7 days. Addition of glucose, sucrose, starch, yeast extract (2 g l-1), CaCl2, or MgCl2 (10 mmol l-1) to FB30 decreased protease production and feather degradation. FB30 supplementation with NH4Cl (1 g l-1) resulted in less apparent negative effects on protease production, whereas peptone (2 g l-1) increased protease yields earlier during cultivations (3 days). Through a central composite design employed to investigate the effects of peptone and NH4Cl (0.5-4.5 g l-1) on protease production and feather degradation, FB30 supplementation with peptone and NH4Cl (0.5-1.1 g l-1) increased protease production within a shorter cultivation time (5 days) and hastened complete feather degradation (6 days). Feather bioconversion concurs with sustainable production of value-added products.