laborczi@rissac.hu

Micropropagation for the conservation of protected plant species: a case study with the highly protected lilyleaf

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Adverse processes in the habitats of protected plant species are making it increasingly important to develop proper ex situ methods for future conservation actions. Micropropagation is a method of plant propagation for rapid multiplication of plants in a short duration under in vitro conditions. The aim of this study was to develop a micropropagation protocol for lilyleaf and to evaluate the effects of diverse plant growth regulators (PGR) and natural extracts used on the growth and development of the plantlets. The ideal growth medium was the ½ MS medium. Silver nitrate (AgNO3) added to the medium at a concentration of 5 mg L-1 led to an increase in root formation and shoot length, although higher concentration levels adversely affected root development. Increasing the concentration of NAA (1-naphthyl acetic acid) resulted in a decrease in the morphological parameters studied. Coconut water at 50 ml L-1 promoted root formation, but at elevated doses root formation was inhibited while shoot formation was stimulated. Optimization of pH levels from 6.8-7 to 7.8-8.0 significantly increased plant height and root formation, and significant carotenoid accumulation occurred at pH 6.8-7. Overall, the protocol developed allows the successful propagation of the species under in vitro conditions, supporting the future conservation of the species.

Kovács, Z., Portocarrero, L.K., Honfi, P., Kohut, I., Eisa, E.A. and Tilly-Mándy, A., 2024. Enhancing Micropropagation of Adenophora liliifolia: Insights from PGRs, Natural Extracts, and pH Optimization. Plants, 13(13), p.1735.

Registration is now open for the events of Budapest Soil Health Forum

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The Forum consists of four events, including two international conferences, a workshop and a panel discussion:

Our colleagues play a major role in the organisation of the Forum, moreover the HUN-REN ATK Soil Science Institute is the organiser of the conference “Improving Soil Health” as well as co-organiser of the conference “Artificial Intelligence for Soil Health”.

More information about the events and registration is available at soilhealthforum.hu

What happens to the soil when a field is replaced by a forest?

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The present study compared the bacterial microbiome composition, diversity, and catabolic activity profile of topsoil samples collected under three different forest types (a twice-coppiced black locust stand, a young, naturally reforested, and a middle-aged mixed pedunculate oak stand) planted on former arable land in the early 20th century. Diversity indices determined during 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing-based metagenome analysis indicated that the black locust stand had the highest soil bacterial community diversity. At the phylum level, Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobiota, Bacteroidota, and Gemmatimonadota were the most abundant taxa in the forest soils. Concerning soil parameters, redundancy analysis revealed that pH had the highest impact on bacterial community structure and pH, and soil organic carbon content on the samples’ respiration patterns. As for catabolic activity, the recently clearcut oak forest showed the lowest substrate-induced respiration, and citrate was the main driver for the inter-stand variability of microbial activity.
This research was funded by the EU and co-financed by the European Regional Development
Fund and the Hungarian Government under project no. GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00056.

Bereczki K, Tóth EG, Szili-Kovács T, Megyes M, Korponai K, Lados BB, Illés G, Benke A, Márialigeti K. Soil Parameters and Forest Structure Commonly Form the Microbiome Composition and Activity of Topsoil Layers in Planted Forests. Microorganisms. 2024; 12(6):1162.
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12061162

Memorial lecture day on the 100th anniversary of István Szabolcs’s birth

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The lecture series addressed Professor Szabolcs’s pioneering and school-founding role in the research of domestic salt-affected soils, his international scientific organizational activities, his two decades as director of the Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, his work as editor-in-chief of Agrochemistry and Soil Science and his duties as president of the Hungarian Soil Science Society.

The event featured two surprise speakers. The first was Jorge Batlle-Sales, professor at the University of Valencia and president of the International Network on Salt-Affected Soils (INSAS). During his online appearance, he provided insight into his personal and professional relationship with Professor Szabolcs and his wife, Katalin Darab. The second surprise speaker was Mónika Szabolcs, István Szabolcs’s niece, who presented him as a private individual, sharing how his relatives saw him, and included excerpts from personal letters to bring their life situations at the time to life.

István Szabolcs was born on February 23, 1924, in Túrkeve, located in the heart of the Nagykunság region. He passed away on August 10, 1997, in Budapest. He was an outstanding soil scientist, chemist, and university professor. He was a member of the Soil Science, Agrochemistry, and Agricultural Water Management Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, a candidate of agricultural sciences (Moscow, 1953), and later the doctor of agricultural sciences (1959). His diverse career and scientific portfolio were fittingly reviewed by his former colleagues and those who continue his scientific legacy.

Research results on soil heavy metal contamination

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River floodplains in the vicinity of metal mines or industrial plants are often subject to flooding with sediments containing heavy metals, which can be harmful to the soil ecosystem. This study aimed to investigate the microbial properties of the soil at a metal-contaminated site and to determine the significant relationships between the biological and chemical properties of the soil. The study site was located near the village of Gyöngyösoroszi, in the Mátra mountain, Hungary. A phytoremediation experiment was conducted in a metal-polluted floodplain using willow and corn plantations. The soil basal respiration, substrate-induced respiration, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), acid phosphatase activities, and soil chemical properties were measured. The soil of the contaminated sites had significantly higher levels of As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Ca, whereas the unpolluted sites had significantly higher levels of phosphorus and potassium. The substrate-induced respiration showed a positive correlation with MBC and negative correlations with the metabolic quotient (qCO2). The soil plasticity index and phosphorus showed a positive correlation with MBC, whereas salinity and the presence of Cd, Pb, Zn, As, and Cu showed a negative correlation. Acid phosphomonoesterase activity negatively correlated with the plant-available phosphorus content and MBC but was positively correlated with the contents of toxic elements, including cadmium, lead, zinc, arsenic, and copper. This study found a significant correlation between the qCO2 and the toxic element content. This suggests that an enhanced metabolic quotient (qCO2), together with a decreased MBC/SOC ratio, could be used to indicate the harmful effect of soil contamination by heavy metals in floodplain soils.

Szili-Kovács, T.; Takács, T. Microbial Biomass and Rhizosphere Soil Properties in Response to Heavy Metal-Contaminated Flooding. Agriculture 2024, 14, 756.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14050756