Application of Bioorganic Fertilizer on Panax notoginseng Improves Plant Growth by Altering the Rhizosphere Microbiome Structure and Metabolism.

Bioorganic fertilizers can alleviate (a) biotic stresses and sustainably increase crop yields. The effect of bioorganic fertilizers on the rhizosphere bacterial community of Panax notoginseng and soil metabolism remains unknown. Here, we tracked the changes in the soil physicochemical properties, bacterial microbiota responses, and soil metabolic functions after the addition of a bioorganic fertilizer in a P. notoginseng field. The application of a bioorganic fertilizer reduced the soil acidification, improved the organic matter, and increased the contents of the total/available soil nutrients. Soil amendment with a bioorganic fertilizer significantly affected the structure of the rhizosphere bacterial community, leading to the enrichment of specific bacterial consortia such as Rhodanobacter, Arthrobacter, Sphingomonas, Devosia, Pseudolabrys, Luteimonas, Lysobacter, Nitrosospira, and Nakamurella. Previously, many of these genera have been associated with nutrient cycling, plant productivity, and disease suppression. Metabolome analysis further highlighted that the bioorganic fertilizer treatment significantly reduced phenolic acids and flavonoids and enhanced organic acids, saccharides and alcohols, and amino acids. This result indicates a high survival of bacterial microbiota in the rhizosphere and an availability of nutrients for P. notoginseng growth. This work showed that the application of bioorganic fertilizers significantly improves soil health status, alters soil metabolic functions, and stimulates a specific subset of rhizosphere microbiota for nutrient cycling and disease protection in P. notoginseng.

Metabolite Profiling and Transcriptome Analyses Provide Insight Into Phenolic and Flavonoid Biosynthesis in the Nutshell of Macadamia Ternifolia.

Macadamia ternifolia is a dynamic oil-producing nut crop in the world. However, the nutshell is frequently considered as a low-quality material. Further, its metabolic profile is still uncharacterized. In order to explore the industrial significance of the nutshell, this study performed metabolic and transcriptomic analyses at various developmental stages of the nutshell. The qualitative and quantitative metabolic data analysis identified 596 metabolic substances including several species of phenolic acids, flavonoids, lipids, organic acids, amino acids and derivatives, nucleotides and derivatives, alkaloids, lignans, coumarins, terpenoids, tannins, and others. However, phenolic acids and flavonoids were predominant, and their abundance levels were significantly altered across various developmental stages of the nutshell. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression patterns of phenolic acid and flavonoid pathway related genes were significantly changed during the nutshell growth. In particular, the expression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, C4H, 4CL, CHS, CHI, F3H, and FLS had dynamic differences at the various developmental stages of the nutshell. Our integrative metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses identified the key metabolic substances and their abundance levels. We further discussed the regulatory mechanism of phenolic and flavonoid biosynthesis in the nutshell of M. ternifolia. Our results provide new insights into the biological profiles of the nutshell of M. ternifolia and help to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of phenolic and flavonoid biosynthesis in the nutshell of M. ternifolia.

Dynamics of biotypes B and Q of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci and its impact on insecticide resistance.

BACKGROUND: The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a key pest in many agricultural crops, including vegetables, ornamentals and field crops. B. tabaci is known for its genetic diversity, which is expressed in a complex of biotypes or, as recently suggested, a complex of distinct cryptic species. The biotypes are largely differentiated on the basis of biochemical or molecular polymorphism and differ in characteristics such as host plant range, attraction by natural enemies, secondary symbionts and expression of insecticide resistance. An extensive survey of B. tabaci biotypes and their impact on insecticide resistance was conducted from 2003 to 2012 in cotton fields and other crops from several locations in Israel. RESULTS: Two biotypes of B. tabaci, B and Q, were identified, and some differences in the biotype dynamics were recorded from different areas. In northern Israel from 2003 to 2007, a higher proportion of the B biotype was consistently found in early season. However, by the end of the season a definite rise of the Q biotype was sampled, ranging from 60 to 100%, along with high resistance to the insect growth regulator (IGR) pyriproxyfen and to a lesser extent to the neonicotinoid insecticides. In fields located in the central part of Israel, the Q biotype was predominant throughout the seasons, with high resistance to pyriproxyfen. Since 2009, a significant shift in the biotype ratios has been observed: the B biotype has come to predominate over the Q biotype ranging up to 90% or more in most fields. At the same time, resistance to the IGR pyriproxyfen was reduced considerably. CONCLUSION: The possible reasons for the change in the dynamics of B. tabaci biotypes, and its implications for resistance management, are discussed. Strong B. tabaci resistance to pyriproxyfen in Israel has been associated with the Q rather than with the B biotype. The B biotype is more competitive than the Q biotype under untreated conditions. Reduction in the acreage of cotton fields during recent years, along with a decrease in insecticide use, especially pyriproxyfen, has resulted in the expansion of the B biotype.

Reaction of hydroxyl radicals with C4H5N (pyrrole): temperature and pressure dependent rate coefficients.

Absolute (pulsed laser photolysis, 4-639 Torr N(2) or air, 240-357 K) and relative rate methods (50 and 760 Torr air, 296 K) were used to measure rate coefficients k(1) for the title reaction, OH + C(4)H(5)N → products (R1). Although the pressure and temperature dependent rate coefficient is adequately represented by a falloff parametrization, calculations of the potential energy surface indicate a complex reaction system with multiple reaction paths (addition only) in the falloff regime. At 298 K and 760 Torr (1 Torr = 1.33 mbar) the rate coefficient obtained from the parametrization is k(1) = (1.28 ± 0.1) × 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), in good agreement with the value of (1.10 ± 0.27) × 10(-10) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) obtained in the relative rate study (relative to C(5)H(8), isoprene) at this temperature and pressure. The accuracy of the absolute rate coefficient determination was enhanced by online optical absorption measurements of the C(4)H(5)N concentration at 184.95 nm using a value σ(184.95nm) = (1.26 ± 0.02) × 10(-17) cm(2) molecule(-1), which was determined in this work.

Removal of the potent greenhouse gas NF3 by reactions with the atmospheric oxidants O(1D), OH and O3.

Nitrogen trifluoride, NF(3), a trace gas of purely anthropogenic origin with a large global warming potential is accumulating in the Earth's atmosphere. Large uncertainties are however associated with its atmospheric removal rate. In this work, experimental and theoretical kinetic tools were used to study the reactions of NF(3) with three of the principal gas-phase atmospheric oxidants: O((1)D), OH and O(3). For reaction (R2) with O((1)D), rate coefficients of k(2)(212-356 K) = (2.0 ± 0.3) × 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) were obtained in direct competitive kinetics experiments, and experimental and theoretical evidence was obtained for F-atom product formation. These results indicate that whilst photolysis in the stratosphere remains the principal fate of NF(3), reaction with O((1)D) is significant and was previously underestimated in atmospheric lifetime calculations. Experimental evidence of F-atom production from 248 nm photolysis of NF(3) was also obtained, indicating that quantum yields for NF(3) destruction remain significant throughout the UV. No evidence was found for reaction (R3) of NF(3) with OH indicating that this process makes little or no contribution to NF(3) removal from the atmosphere. An upper-limit of k(3)(298 K) < 4 × 10(-16) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was obtained experimentally; theoretical analysis suggests that the true rate coefficient is more than ten orders of magnitude smaller. An upper-limit of k(4)(296 K) < 3 × 10(-25) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) was obtained in experiments to investigate O(3) + NF(3) (R4). Altogether these results underpin calculations of a long (several hundred year) lifetime for NF(3). In the course of this work rate coefficients (in units of 10(-11) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1)) for removal of O((1)D) by n-C(5)H(12), k(6) = (50 ± 5) and by N(2), k(7) = (3.1 ± 0.2) were obtained. Uncertainties quoted throughout are 2σ precision only.

Reaction of HO with glycolaldehyde, HOCH2CHO: rate coefficients (240-362 K) and mechanism.

Absolute rate coefficients for the title reaction, HO+HOCH2CHO-->products (R1), were measured over the temperature range 240-362 K using the technique of pulsed laser photolytic generation of the HO radical coupled to detection by pulsed laser induced fluorescence. Within experimental error, the rate coefficient, k1, is independent of temperature over the range covered and is given by k1(240-362 K)=(8.0+/-0.8)x10(-12) cm3 molecule-1 s-1. The effects of the hydroxy substituent and hydrogen bonding on the rate coefficient are discussed based on theoretical calculations. The present results, which extend the database on the title reaction to a range of temperatures, indicate that R1 is the dominant loss process for HOCH2CHO throughout the troposphere. As part of this work, the absorption cross-section of HOCH2CHO at 184.9 nm was determined to be (3.85+/-0.2)x10(-18) cm2 molecule-1, and the quantum yield of HO formation from the photolysis of HOCH2CHO at 248 nm was found to be (7.0+/-1.5)x10(-2).

Reaction of HO with hydroxyacetone (HOCH2C(O)CH3): rate coefficients (233-363 K) and mechanism.

Absolute rate coefficients for the title reaction, HO + HOCH(2)C(O)CH(3)--> products (R1) were measured over the temperature range 233-363 K using the technique of pulsed laser photolytic generation of the HO radical coupled to detection by pulsed laser induced fluorescence. The rate coefficient displays a slight negative temperature dependence, which is described by: k(1)(233-363 K) = (2.15 +/- 0.30) x 10(-12) exp{(305 +/- 10)/T} cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1), with a value of (5.95 +/- 0.50) x 10(-12) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) at room temperature. The effects of the hydroxy-substituent and hydrogen bonding on the rate coefficient are discussed based on theoretical calculations. The present results, which extend the database on the title reaction to a range of temperatures, indicate that R1 is the dominant loss process for hydroxyacetone throughout the troposphere, resulting in formation of methylglyoxal at all atmospheric temperatures. As part of this work, the rate coefficient for reaction of O((3)P) with HOCH(2)C(O)CH(3) (R4) was measured at 358 K: k(4)(358 K) = (6.4 +/- 1.0) x 10(-14) cm(3) molecule(-1) s(-1) and the absorption cross section of HOCH(2)C(O)CH(3) at 184.9 nm was determined to be (5.4 +/- 0.1) x 10(-18) cm(2) molecule(-1).