Institut für Tropische Agrarwissenschaften (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institut)

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hohpublica.uni-hohenheim.de/handle/123456789/21

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi-based bioremediation of mercury: insights from zinc and cadmium transporter studies
(2023) Guo, Yaqin; Martin, Konrad; Hrynkiewicz, Katarzyna; Rasche, Frank; Guo, Y.; Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany; Martin, K.; Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany; Hrynkiewicz, K.; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 87-100, Torun, Poland; Rasche, F.; Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Institute of Agricultural Sciences in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), University of Hohenheim, 70593, Stuttgart, Germany
Phytoremediation, a sustainable approach for rehabilitating mercury (Hg)-contaminated soils, can be enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which promote plant growth and metal uptake, including Hg, in contaminated soils. Hg, despite lacking a biological function in plants, can be absorbed and translocated using Zn and/or Cd transporters, as these elements belong to the same group in the periodic table (12/2B). In fact, the specific transporters of Hg in plant roots remain unknown. This study is therefore to provide fundamental insights into the prospect to remediate Hg-contaminated soils, with a focus on the role of AM fungi. The hypothesis posits that Hg uptake in plants may be facilitated by transporters responsible for Zn/Cd, affected by AM fungi. The Scopus database was used to collect studies between 2000 and 2022 with a focus on the ecological role of AM fungi in environments contaminated with Zn and Cd. Particular emphasis was laid on the molecular mechanisms involved in metal uptake and partitioning. The study revealed that AM fungi indeed regulated Zn and/or Cd transporters, influencing Zn and/or Cd uptake in plants. However, these effects vary significantly based on environmental factors, such as plant and AM fungi species and soil conditions (e.g., pH, phosphorus levels). Given the limited understanding of Hg remediation, insights gained from Zn and Cd transporter systems can guide future Hg research. In conclusion, this study underscores the importance of considering environmental factors and provides fundamental insights into the potential of Hg phytoremediation with the assistance of AM fungi.
Biomonitoring via DNA metabarcoding and light microscopy of bee pollen in rainforest transformation landscapes of Sumatra
(2022) Carneiro de Melo Moura, Carina; Setyaningsih, Christina A.; Li, Kevin; Merk, Miryam Sarah; Schulze, Sonja; Raffiudin, Rika; Grass, Ingo; Behling, Hermann; Tscharntke, Teja; Westphal, Catrin; Gailing, Oliver; Carneiro de Melo Moura, Carina; Department of Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Setyaningsih, Christina A.; Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Li, Kevin; Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Merk, Miryam Sarah; Statistics and Econometrics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Schulze, Sonja; Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Raffiudin, Rika; Department of Biology, IPB University ID, Bogor, Indonesia; Grass, Ingo; Department of Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany; Behling, Hermann; Department of Palynology and Climate Dynamics, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Tscharntke, Teja; Agroecology, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Westphal, Catrin; Functional Agrobiodiversity, Department of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Gailing, Oliver; Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
Background: Intense conversion of tropical forests into agricultural systems contributes to habitat loss and the decline of ecosystem functions. Plant-pollinator interactions buffer the process of forest fragmentation, ensuring gene flow across isolated patches of forests by pollen transfer. In this study, we identified the composition of pollen grains stored in pot-pollen of stingless bees, Tetragonula laeviceps , via dual-locus DNA metabarcoding (ITS2 and rbcL ) and light microscopy, and compared the taxonomic coverage of pollen sampled in distinct land-use systems categorized in four levels of management intensity (forest, shrub, rubber, and oil palm) for landscape characterization. Results: Plant composition differed significantly between DNA metabarcoding and light microscopy. The overlap in the plant families identified via light microscopy and DNA metabarcoding techniques was low and ranged from 22.6 to 27.8%. Taxonomic assignments showed a dominance of pollen from bee-pollinated plants, including oil-bearing crops such as the introduced species Elaeis guineensis (Arecaceae) as one of the predominant taxa in the pollen samples across all four land-use types. Native plant families Moraceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Cannabaceae appeared in high proportion in the analyzed pollen material. One-way ANOVA (p > 0.05), PERMANOVA (R² values range from 0.14003 to 0.17684, for all tests p-value > 0.5), and NMDS (stress values ranging from 0.1515 to 0.1859) indicated a lack of differentiation between the species composition and diversity of pollen type in the four distinct land-use types, supporting the influx of pollen from adjacent areas. Conclusions: Stingless bees collected pollen from a variety of agricultural crops, weeds, and wild plants. Plant composition detected at the family level from the pollen samples likely reflects the plant composition at the landscape level rather than the plot level. In our study, the plant diversity in pollen from colonies installed in land-use systems with distinct levels of forest transformation was highly homogeneous, reflecting a large influx of pollen transported by stingless bees through distinct land-use types. Dual-locus approach applied in metabarcoding studies and visual pollen identification showed great differences in the detection of the plant community, therefore a combination of both methods is recommended for performing biodiversity assessments via pollen identification.
Do we need post-tree thinning management? Prescribed fire and goat browsing to control woody encroacher species in an Ethiopian savanna
(2024) Abate, Teshome; Abebe, Tesfaye; Treydte, Anna; Abate, Teshome; College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia; Abebe, Tesfaye; College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia; Treydte, Anna; Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
Worldwide, bush encroachment threatens rangeland ecosystem services, including plant biodiversity and forage for livestock. Various control methods for encroaching woody species and restoring herbaceous vegetation exist but have rarely been explored experimentally. We assessed the impact of post-tree thinning management on tree mortality, the herbaceous community, and overall rangeland condition in Borana, an Ethiopian savanna ecosystem. At two 1.4 ha areas of encroached mono-specific Vachellia drepanolobium (whistling thorn) stands, we set up twenty-four 20 × 10 m experimental plots with four post-tree-thinning treatments (goat browsing only (1), prescribed fire (2), fire and goat browsing (3), and control (4) (i.e., no management after tree cutting), with three replications in a complete block design. Over two growing periods, we monitored resulting tree mortality, coppicing, seedling mortality and recruitment, as well as herbaceous layer attributes (diversity, biomass) and overall rangeland condition. All three post-tree thinning management scenarios significantly enhanced tree mortalities, reduced seedling recruitment and increased the abundance of the dominant desirable grass species. Prescribed fire and fire and goat-browsing treatments resulted in significantly greater grass and forb species richness, forb diversity, and biomass, as well as the overall rangeland condition compared to goat browsing only and the control treatment. However, grass species diversity did not respond to treatments. Post-tree management significantly increased tree mortality, reduced seedling recruitment, and increased the abundance of desirable grass species. Our findings strongly suggest that post-thinning management, particularly prescribed fire or a combination of fire and browsing, is highly effective in suppressing woody encroachment and improving biomass and overall rangeland condition.
Exploring the plausibility of inoculated cowpeas as a climate adaptation strategy for Namibian smallholder farmers
(2025) Rasche, Livia; Katjana, Johannes; Jantke, Kerstin; Uchezuba, David; Schneider, Uwe A.; Rasche, Livia; Research Unit Sustainability and Climate Risks, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Universität Hamburg, 20144 Hamburg, Germany; Katjana, Johannes; School of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 10005, Namibia; Jantke, Kerstin; Research Unit Sustainability and Climate Risks, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Universität Hamburg, 20144 Hamburg, Germany; Uchezuba, David; School of Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek 10005, Namibia; Schneider, Uwe A.; Research Unit Sustainability and Climate Risks, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Universität Hamburg, 20144 Hamburg, Germany; Lombardi, Mariarosaria
Increased cultivation of cowpeas is a possible adaptation option for Namibian farmers under changing climatic conditions. Using inoculated cowpeas can potentially double the yields under favorable climate conditions. But is such a potentially beneficial agricultural adaptation technique likely to be adopted? We surveyed 90 cowpea farmers from 30 villages in the Kavango region of northern Namibia on their households and farms, access to institutions and services, food consumption and preferences, and perceptions of climate change. Our survey reveals that smallholder farmers will not readily adopt the new technology. At most, about 50% of farmers can be convinced by new information to change their agricultural activities. When specifically asked about their willingness to grow inoculated cowpeas, almost all farmers responded that they would be willing to do so. However, the farmers are reluctant to allocate more land for cowpea cultivation, mainly because harvesting is very time and labor-intensive. The study shows that technology assessments should be conducted in combination with socio-economic assessments to realistically assess the potential success of proposed adaptation measures, as the extent to which a new technology may be adopted is an essential indicator for justifying funding of new technologies or adaptation programs.

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