Publications (10)23.8 Total impact
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Article: Biological nitrification inhibition by Brachiaria humidicola roots varies with soil type and inhibits nitrifying bacteria, but not other major soil microorganisms
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ABSTRACT: Biological nitrification inhibition by Brachiaria humidicola roots varies with soil type and inhibits nitrifying bacteria, but not other major soil microorganisms Abstract The tropical pasture grass Brachiaria humidiola (Rendle) Schweick releases nitrification inhibitory compounds from its roots, a phenomenon termed 'biological nitrification inhibition' (BNI). We investigated the influence of root exudates of B. humidicola on nitrification, major soil microorganisms and plant growth promoting micro-organisms using two contrasting soil types, Andosol and Cambisol. The addition of root exudates (containing BNI activity that is expressed in Allylthiourea unit (ATU) was standardized in a bioassay against a synthetic inhibitor of nitrification, allylthiourea, and their function in soil was compared to inhibition caused by the syn-thetic nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide. At 30 and 40 ATU g)1 soil, root exudates inhibited nitrification by 95% in fresh Cambisol after 60 days. Nitrification was also similarly inhibited in rhizosphere soils of Cambisol where B. humidicola was grown for 6 months. Root exudates did not inhibit other soil microorganisms, includ-ing gram-negative bacteria, total cultivable bacteria and fluorescent pseudomonads. Root exudates, when added to pure cultures of Nitrosomonas europaea, inhibited their growth, but did not inhibit the growth of several plant growth promoting microorganisms, Azospirillum lipoferum, Rhizobium leguminosarum and Azoto-bacter chroococcum. Our results indicate that the nitrification inhibitors released by B. humidicola roots inhibited nitrifying bacteria, but did not negatively affect other major soil microorganisms and the effectiveness of the inhibitory effect varied with soil type.Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 01/2009; 55:725-733. · 1.02 Impact Factor -
Article: Biological nitrification inhibition (BNI)—Is there potential for genetic interventions in the Triticeae?
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ABSTRACT: The natural ability of plants to release chemical substances from their roots that have a suppressing effect on nitrifier activity and soil nitrification, is termed 'biological nitrification inhibition' (BNI). Though nitrifica-tion is one of the critical processes in the nitrogen cycle, unrestricted and rapid nitrification in agricultural systems can result in major losses of nitrogen from the plant-soil system. This nitrogen loss is due to the leaching of nitrate out of the rooting zone and emission of gaseous oxides of nitrogen to the atmosphere, where it causes serious pollution problems. Using a newly developed assay system that quantifies the inhib-itory activity of plant roots (i.e. BNI capacity), it has been shown that BNI capacity is widespread among crops and pastures. A tropical pasture grass, Brachiaria humidicola has been used as a model system to char-acterize BNI function, where it was shown that BNIs can provide sufficient inhibitory activity to suppress soil nitrification and nitrous oxide emissions. Given the wide-range of genetic diversity found among the Triticeae, and the current availability of genetic tools for moving traits/genes across members, there is great potential for introducing/improving the BNI capacity of economically important members of the Triticeae (i.e. wheat, barley and rye). This review outlines the current status of knowledge regarding the potential for genetic improvement in the BNI capacity of the Triticeae. Such approaches are critical to the development of the next-generation of crops and production systems where nitrification is biologically suppressed/regu-lated to reduce nitrogen leakage and protect the environment from nitrogen pollutionBreeding Science 01/2009; 59:529--545. · 1.25 Impact Factor -
Article: Contrasting physiological responses by cultivars of Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima to prolonged submergence.
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ABSTRACT: Oryza glaberrima is widely grown in flood-prone areas of African river basins and is subject to prolonged periods of annual submergence. The effects of submergence on shoot elongation, shoot biomass, leaf area and CO(2) uptake were studied and compared with those of O. sativa. A wide selection of lines of O. sativa and O. glaberrima, including some classified as submergence tolerant, were compared in field and pot experiments. Plants were submerged completely for 31 d in a field experiment, and partially or completely for 37 d in a pot experiment in a growth chamber. Leaf elongation and growth in shoot biomass during complete submergence in the field were significantly greater in O. glaberrima than in O. sativa. So-called submergence-tolerant cultivars of O. sativa were unable to survive prolonged complete submergence for 31-37 d. This indicates that the mechanism of suppressed leaf elongation that confers increased survival of short-term submergence is inadequate for surviving long periods underwater. The O. sativa deepwater cultivar 'Nylon' and the 'Yélé1A' cultivar of O. glaberrima succeeded in emerging above the floodwater. This resulted in greatly increased shoot length, shoot biomass and leaf area, in association with an increased net assimilation rate compared with the lowland-adapted O. sativa 'Banjoulou'. The superior tolerance of deepwater O. sativa and O. glaberrima genotypes to prolonged complete submergence appears to be due to their greater photosynthetic capacity developed by leaves newly emerged above the floodwater. Vigorous upward leaf elongation during prolonged submergence is therefore critical for ensuring shoot emergence from water, leaf area extension above the water surface and a subsequent strong increase in shoot biomass.Annals of Botany 11/2008; 103(2):171-80. · 4.03 Impact Factor -
Article: Morphological and physiological responses of rice seedlings to complete submergence (flash flooding).
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ABSTRACT: Reducing damage to rice seedlings caused by flash flooding will improve the productivity of rainfed lowland rice in West Africa. Accordingly, the morphological and physiological responses of different forms of rice to complete submergence were examined in field and pot experiments to identify primary causes of damage. To characterize the physiological responses, seedlings from a wide genetic base including Oryza sativa, O. glaberrima and interspecific hybrids were compared using principle component analysis. Important factors linked to flash-flood tolerance included minimal shoot elongation underwater, increase in dry matter weight during submergence and post-submergence resistance to lodging. In particular, fast shoot elongation during submergence negatively affected plant growth after de-submergence. Also shoot-elongating cultivars showed a strong negative correlation between dry matter weight of the leaves that developed before submergence and leaves developing during submergence. Enhancement of shoot elongation during submergence in water that is too deep to permit re-emergence by small seedlings represents a futile escape strategy that takes place at the expense of existing dry matter in circumstances where underwater photosynthetic carbon fixation is negligible. Consequently, it compromises survival or recovery growth once flood water levels recede and plants are re-exposed to the aerial environment. Tolerance is greater in cultivars where acceleration of elongation caused by submergence is minimal.Annals of Botany 11/2008; 103(2):161-9. · 4.03 Impact Factor -
Article: Detection, isolation and characterization of a root-exuded compound, methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate, responsible for biological nitrification inhibition by sorghum (Sorghum bicolor).
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ABSTRACT: Nitrification results in poor nitrogen (N) recovery and negative environmental impacts in most agricultural systems. Some plant species release secondary metabolites from their roots that inhibit nitrification, a phenomenon known as biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). Here, we attempt to characterize BNI in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). In solution culture, the effect of N nutrition and plant age was studied on BNI activity from roots. A bioluminescence assay using recombinant Nitrosomonas europaea was employed to determine the inhibitory effect of root exudates. One major active constituent was isolated by activity-guided HPLC fractionations. The structure was analysed using NMR and mass spectrometry. Properties and the 70% inhibitory concentration (IC(70)) of this compound were determined by in vitro assay. Sorghum had significant BNI capacity, releasing 20 allylthiourea units (ATU) g(-1) root DW d(-1). Release of BNI compounds increased with growth stage and concentration of supply. NH4+ -grown plants released several-fold higher BNI compounds than NO3- -grown plants. The active constituent was identified as methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate. BNI compound release from roots is a physiologically active process, stimulated by the presence of NH4+. Methyl 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) propionate is the first compound purified from the root exudates of any species; this is an important step towards better understanding BNI in sorghum.New Phytologist 01/2008; 180(2):442-51. · 6.64 Impact Factor -
Article: Nitrification Inhibitors from the root tissues of Brachiaria humidicola, a tropical grass.
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ABSTRACT: Nitrification inhibitory activity was found in root tissue extracts of Brachiaria humidicola, a tropical pasture grass. Two active inhibitory compounds were isolated by activity-guided fractionation, using recombinant Nitrosomonas europaea containing luxAB genes derived from the bioluminescent marine gram-negative bacterium Vibrio harveyi. The compounds were identified as methyl-p-coumarate and methyl ferulate, respectively. Their nitrification inhibitory properties were confirmed in chemically synthesized preparations of each. The IC50 values of chemically synthesized preparations were 19.5 and 4.4 microM, respectively. The ethyl, propyl, and butyl esters of p-coumaric and ferulic acids inhibited nitrification, whereas the free acid forms did not show inhibitory activity.Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 03/2007; 55(4):1385-8. · 2.82 Impact Factor -
Article: Comparison of adaptability to flash flood between rice cultivars differing in flash flood tolerance
Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 10/2002; 48(5):659-665. · 1.02 Impact Factor -
Dataset: Metabolic changes in rice seedlings with different submergence tolerance after desubmergence
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ABSTRACT: When flash flood intolerant rice cultivars are submerged, they show greater morphological changes such as elongation and chlorosis than tolerant cultivars. These morphological responses are caused by ethylene produced during submergence, however, a visible damage of intolerant cultivars is markedly developing after desubmergence rather than during submergence, which is probably due to oxidative damage. We studied the effect of ethylene produced during submergence on antioxidant content and oxidative damage after desubmergence. When rice (Oryza sati6a) was submerged for 8 days, both tolerant cultivar (BKNFR) and intolerant cultivars (Mashuri and IR42) showed a decrease in ascorbate concentration during submergence. After 3 days of desubmergence, the tolerant cultivar showed a rapid recovery of total ascorbate and ascorbic acid, whereas intolerant cultivars showed a slow recovery of them, an increase in malondialdehyde formation, and low survival rate (about 30%). However, applying 200 mg l − 1 of AgNO 3 as an ethylene antagonist to intolerant cultivars suppressed the decrease in ascorbate and the increase in malondialdehyde formation after desubmergence, and improved survival rate to about 60%. Ascorbic acid supply to leaf discs from submerged IR42 suppressed increase in malondialdehyde formation by incubation under the light for 24 h. In addition, strong negative correlations were observed between malondialdehyde formation with ascorbate concentration (r= −0.93) and with percentage of survival (r= −0.98). Our results indicate that the accumulated ethylene during submergence adversely affected antioxidant mechanism in intolerant rice cultivars after desubmergence, and ascorbic acid was an important antioxidant in vivo for the recovery of submerged rice seedlings. -
Article: Flash flooding resistance of rice genotypes of Oryza sativa L., O. glaberrima Steud., and Interspecific hybridization progeny
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ABSTRACT: In the costal area and inland valleys of Guinea, flash floods occur frequently following heavy rain during the rainy season. Young rice seedlings are particularly vulnerable to submergence stress due to insufficient height and carbohydrate reserves. In an attempt to characterize the physiological responses of young seedlings to flash flood, a wide genetic base including O. sativa, O. glaberrima, and interspecific hybridization progenies (IHP) was used.Twelve day-old seedlings were submerged for 7 days, and plant height, dry matter accumulation (DMA), and lodging were measured. Upland rice (O. sativa) showed greater shoot elongation, larger reduction in DMA during submergence, and higher lodging, which lead to low flash flooding resistance (FFR). The physiological traits of most O. glaberrima and upland rice (O. sativa) to flash flood were opposite to those of submergence tolerant cultivars, as evidenced from the results of a principal component analysis. The physiological response of Saligbeli was different to other O. glaberrima genotypes in terms of FFR. Saligbeli exhibited enhanced shoot elongation with the increase in DMA during submergence. These features seemed to be a unique way to cope with submergence. Some IHP adapted to lowland cultivation showed traits similar to Saligbeli. The vigorous growth of Saligbeli and IHP underwater should be further investigated for improving FFR in rice.Environmental and Experimental Botany 63:9-18. · 2.98 Impact Factor -
Article: Importance of active oxygen-scavenging system in the recovery of rice seedlings after submergence
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ABSTRACT: Active oxygen species (AOS) can damage cells by mutation of nucleic acids and derivatives, dysfunction of proteins, oxidation of lipids to peroxides that make membranes leaky. Excessive illumination during recovery of submerged rice seedlings may induce an oxidative stress because of abnormal amount of AOS such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. Though submergence-tolerant FR13A and -intolerant IR42 both have comparable H2O2 production during recovery, FR13A had less lipid peroxidation and had maintained a considerably higher level of ascorbate antioxidant during recovery than IR42. Only glutathione reductase (GR) activity had significantly different levels between the two cultivars with greater level in FR13A. The high levels of ascorbate and GR activity ensure a better operation of ascorbic acid–glutathione cycle that helps detoxify H2O2 more efficiently in FR13A. However, in IR42 where this cycle is expected to operate at much slower rate because of limited ascorbate and GR activity, H2O2 becomes readily available for lipid peroxidation, producing more MDA. Our data reveal the involvement of active oxygen-scavenging system during recovery of submerged rice seedlings under excessive illumination.Plant Science. 165(1):85-93.
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2002
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Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences
Tsukuba, Ibaraki-ken, Japan
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