Nitrospirillum viridazoti sp. nov., an Efficient Nitrogen-Fixing Species Isolated from Grasses.

A group of Gram-negative plant-associated diazotrophic bacteria belonging to the genus Nitrospirillum was investigated, including both previously characterized and newly isolated strains from diverse regions and biomes, predominantly in Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and recA genes revealed the formation of a distinct clade consisting of thirteen strains, separate from the formally recognized species N. amazonense (the closest species) and N. iridis. Comprehensive taxonomic analyses using the whole genomes of four strains (BR 11140T = AM 18T = Y-2T = DSM 2788T = ATCC 35120T, BR 11142T = AM 14T = Y-1T = DSM 2787T = ATCC 35119T, BR 11145 = CBAmC, and BR 12005) supported the division of these strains into two species: N. amazonense (BR 11142 T and BR 12005) and a newly proposed species (BR 11140 T and BR 11145), distinct from N. iridis. The phylogenomic analysis further confirmed the presence of the new Nitrospirillum species. Additionally, MALDI-TOF MS analysis of whole-cell mass spectra provided further evidence for the differentiation of the proposed Nitrospirillum species, separate from N. amazonense. Analysis of chemotaxonomy markers (i.e., genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, metabolism and elongation, phospholipid synthesis, and quinone synthesis) revealed that the new species highlights high similarity and evolutionary convergence with other Nitrospirillum species. This new species exhibited nitrogen fixation ability in vitro, it has similar NifHDK protein phylogeny position with the closest species, lacked denitrification capability, but possessed the nosZ gene, enabling N2O reduction, distinguishing it from the closest species. Despite being isolated from diverse geographic regions, soil types, and ecological niches, no significant phenotypic or physiological differences were observed between the proposed new species and N. amazonense. Based on these findings, a new species, Nitrospirillum viridazoti sp. nov., was classified, with the strain BR 11140T (DSM 2788T, ATCC 35120T) designated as the type strain.

Carbohydrates and protein digestive traits in beef cattle grazing fertilised or mixed tropical pasture.

This study was performed to investigate the nitrogen (N) and carbohydrate digestive traits of grazing heifers. The experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Lavras. The treatments were a Marandu palisadegrass (Urochloa brizantha [Syn, Brachiaria brizantha] Stapf. A. Rich. cv. Marandu) monoculture fertilised with 150 kg N/[ha ∙ year] (FP) or Marandu palisadegrass mixed pasture with forage peanut (MP). The pastures were grazed by six rumen-cannulated zebu heifers. A double cross-over design was used in four periods. Nutritive value, intake and apparent digestibility of forage, ruminal traits and kinetics and N balance were evaluated. Apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) were greater for FP than for MP. There was no effect in apparent total-tract digestibility of N. The estimated intestinal digestibility of nutrients was greater on MP than FP. Even though N intake and faecal N output were greater on MP than FP, there was no effect in urine N output. The N balance tended to be greater on MP than FP. The forage peanut, which contains condensed tannins, decreased ruminal fibre degradation, apparent digestibility and ruminal protein degradation, increased N flow from the rumen. Inclusion of forage peanut in the mixed pasture decreased the ruminal fibre degradability but increased N retention by the animals.

Livestock intensification and environmental sustainability: An analysis based on pasture management scenarios in the brazilian savanna.

Brazil's major beef production occurs in the Cerrado, predominantly as extensive pastures that covers ∼50 Mha of the biome, of which approximately 2/3 show signs of degradation. Pasture recovery is now a key environmental policy, as it improves land use efficiency and soil carbon sequestration. However, as intensification leads to higher cattle stocking rates and external inputs (fertilizers, liming, etc.), the impact of improved pastures on greenhouse gas mitigation is still debatable. This study focused on the Cerrado biome and aimed to (i) quantify soil carbon stock changes under different scenarios of management and recovery of degraded pastures. In addition, (ii) the potential for capturing carbon in the soil to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) by the intensification of pastures was evaluated. Soil C stock changes (0-20 cm) were assessed using the Century model version 4.5, which had been previously validated for the region. Model parameters were adjusted for three pastures classes (degraded, intermediately degraded, and not degraded) within a time-series (1985-2020) of land use maps for the Cerrado, serving as baselines. Scenarios of pasture intensification were modeled against these baselines, and an analysis was carried out on the estimated changes in soil C stock and greenhouse gas balance. Before the intensification scenario (year 2020), the total carbon stock was estimated to be ∼1830 Mt for the whole pasture area, whose spatial distribution corresponded to edaphoclimatic contrasts and pasture conditions. The highest soil organic carbon stocks were observed in the non-degraded pastures. With the increase in carrying capacity, beef production is estimated to potentially increase by 1/3 due to the recovery of degraded areas through intensive management. This increase would be sufficient to meet the projected ∼12% increase in Brazil's livestock production by the end of the decade if all pasture areas are restored, which is much possibly an unrealistic scenario as not all degraded areas are suitable for crops or can successfully improve pasture yield. In addition, the increase in soil C stocks was only sufficient to compensate for 27% and 42% of the GHG emissions resulting from intensification in areas with intermediate and severe degradation, respectively. Therefore, to strike a balance between economic considerations and environmental impact, additional strategies are needed to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance C sinks, such as increasing tree density on farms. From this perspective, implementing livestock intensification at the landscape scale can promote C stocks and the diversity of ecosystem services, opening the possibility of ecosystem restoration.

Structural and functional shifts of soil prokaryotic community due to Eucalyptus plantation and rotation phase.

Agriculture, forestry and other land uses are currently the second highest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. In soil, these gases derive from microbial activity, during carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. To investigate how Eucalyptus land use and growth period impact the microbial community, GHG fluxes and inorganic N levels, and if there is a link among these variables, we monitored three adjacent areas for 9 months: a recently planted Eucalyptus area, fully developed Eucalyptus forest (final of rotation) and native forest. We assessed the microbial community using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qPCR of key genes involved in C and N cycles. No considerable differences in GHG flux were evident among the areas, but logging considerably increased inorganic N levels. Eucalyptus areas displayed richer and more diverse communities, with selection for specific groups. Land use influenced communities more extensively than the time of sampling or growth phase, although all were significant modulators. Several microbial groups and genes shifted temporally, and inorganic N levels shaped several of these changes. No correlations among microbial groups or genes and GHG were found, suggesting no link among these variables in this short-rotation Eucalyptus study.

Influência da cultura antecessora e da adubação nitrogenada na produtividade de milho em sistema plantio direto e solo preparado / Influence of the previous winter crop and nitrogen fertilization to corn productivity in notillage and conventional tillage

Na região do Cerrado, parte da adubação de cobertura no milho poderia ser antecipada à semeadura do milho visando acelerar a decomposição de resíduos da cultura antecessora. Os objetivos deste experimento foram: a) avaliar a produtividade de milho em sucessão à nabo forrageiro e milheto, na presença e ausência de adubação nitrogenada de cobertura e b) avaliar a eficiência de recuperação de N-adubo na planta e quantificar a volatilização de N-NH3 do fertilizante nitrogenado aplicado em sistema plantio direto (SPD) e em solo preparado (SP). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi blocos casualizados, em esquema de faixas, com quatro repetições. Até o florescimento, a produção de massa de matéria seca (MMS) e acumulação de N na parte aérea do nabo forrageiro foi de, respectivamente, 2.274 e 53,0kg ha-1, sob SPD, e 2.546 e 61,6kg ha-1, sob SP. No caso do milheto, os resultados obtidos foram 5.202 e 107,8kg ha-1, em SPD, e 5.101 e 104,1kg ha-1 em SP. Até a semeadura do milho em SPD, após o acamamento das culturas de inverno, foram liberados 77,3 e 130,7kg ha-1 de N na sucessão nabo-milho e milheto-milho, respectivamente. Na condição de SP, as culturas de inverno foram incorporadas ao solo antes da semeadura do milho. Na cultura do milho, a perda por volatilização de N-NH3 foi inferior a 2,0 por cento do N-aplicado em pré-semeadura (71,3kg ha-1 de N na proporção 4:1, uréia:sulfato de amônio) e 14 por cento do N aplicado (5kg ha-1) em cobertura (35,7kg ha-1 de N-sulfato de amônio), avaliadas em SPD e SP, na sucessão nabo-milho. Em SPD, a eficiência da fertilização foi 57,1 e 42,1 por cento do N-aplicado na sucessão milheto-milho e nabo-milho, respectivamente. Em SP, 46,8 e 46,3 por cento, respectivamente. A adubação nitrogenada promoveu um acréscimo médio de 2.396kg ha-1 de grãos na sucessão milheto-milho, em SPD, comparada à testemunha não adubada. Este acréscimo foi de 895kg ha-1 de grãos na sucessão nabo-milho, sob SPD, e de respectivamente, 1.166 e 166kg ha-1 de grãos nas sucessões milheto-milho e nabo-milho, em SP.