Marcos Henrique Feresin Gomes

Zinc (Zn) is an essential element for plant, animal and human nutrition. Around the world, ca. 800,000 children under 5 years die annually due to a Zn-deficient diet. The application of zinc in crops can...

The objective of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of sources and rates of soluble (MnSO4.H2O) and insoluble (MnCO3) manganese on the processes of uptake, transport, and redistribution of this nutrient in soybean, as well as on crop yield, in Cerrado soil. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks in a 4×2 factorial arrangement – four rates (150, 250, 350, and 450 g ha−1) × two sources (MnSO4.H2O and MnCO3) of Mn –, with four replicates. In the 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 crop seasons, foliar fertilizations were carried out on the third trifoliate leaflet, and Mn content and soybean yield were evaluated. In both crop seasons, Mn foliar fertilization increased the contents of the nutrient in leaves, stems, and grains, but did not affect grain yield and dry matter production. The maximum Mn contents in leaves were obtained with rates between 150 and 450 g ha−1. The fertilization with MnSO4.H2O increased Mn uptake, transport, and redistribution in the plant, with a performance superior to that of MnCO3. Foliar fertilization with MnSO4.H2O in soybean, in a Cerrado soil, increases Mn contents in the leaves but not yield and dry matter production.

New apps have changed the traditional way of learning and teaching; they are also applied as a quickly executed and effective method in agriculture. Soil-app is a web application with a friendly click-point interface built through packages lodged in R software. The app is an advanced model of an open-source platform to support teaching and learning activities in soil analyses and fertilizer recommendations. Soil-app includes soil test interpretation, soil amendment calculations (lime and gypsum), the fertilizer rate for the most important crops in Brazil, an NPK blend calculator, and NPK blend evaluation. It also includes experimental statistical analysis as applied to soil science. Soil-app is a user-friendly and high-performance tool, garnering fast adoption by both students and professionals. It is available for network use through the following link: http://www.genetica.esalq.usp.br/alogamas/R.html

The utilization of insoluble sources of micronutrients as concentrated suspensions (CSs) is increasing in Brazilian agriculture; however, much information regarding the physicochemical characterization of these products is required to demonstrate the absorption behavior by plant leaves. This study aimed to characterize the CSs available on the Brazilian market to support their potential use as foliar fertilizers. We selected five CSs containing Mn, five CSs containing Zn and three CSs containing Cu from five different companies. In each product, the mean particle size was evaluated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), the particle shape and size were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the aggregation degree was determined by the zeta potential and the heavy metal contents were determined by acid digestion followed by reading on ICP-OES. The mean hydrodynamic diameter of fertilizers containing Cu, Mn and Zn was 315 ± 55, 378 ± 184 and 435 ± 107 nm, respectively. The zeta potential varied from-20 to-30 mV, indicating potential particle aggregation and formation of higher structures. SEM images indicated great variation in the size and shape of the particles in each product. All products exhibited concentrations of toxic elements within the legislation thresholds. The average particle size of CSs currently marketable in Brazil does not allow their classification as nanomaterials (< 100 nm). Therefore, their foliar absorption is unlikely, once the particle size is higher than the exclusion limit observed for stomata and cuticle pathways, as well as the nutrient content as ions is low according to the solubility constant.

The number of studies dealing with nanoparticles (NPs) and plants has increased. They subsidize the advances of agriculture in the 21st century; however, so far, beneficial as well as detrimental results have been reported. In this context, analytical tools for monitoring macronutrients and micronutrients in plants exposed to NPs, with adequate performance and low cost, are required. This work assesses the use of energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry for elemental content evaluation in NP‐containing agricultural samples. For Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean) seedlings treated with ZnO NP, CuO NP, and Fe ₃ O ₄ NP, the limits of detection (LODs) were 0.4 mg kg ⁻¹ for Zn and Cu and 0.6 mg kg ⁻¹ for Fe after dry‐ashing digestion, thus being suitable for NP oxide monitoring in seed priming. For submicron suspension fertilizers, Mn, Cu, and Zn were quantified as thin films after sample dilution. The LODs for Mn, Cu, and Zn were 0.09, 0.1, and 0.08 mg L ⁻¹ , respectively. Finally, for P. vulgaris plants exposed to 300‐nm ZnO NP, we monitored P, S, K, Ca, and Zn directly in powdered leaves, whose LODs ranged from 1.3 to 27 mg kg ⁻¹ . No critical spectral interference was observed, and notable repeatability and suitable trueness were found in the cases of studies. EDXRF revealed itself a simple, fast, and reliable alternative to evaluate the elemental content in suspensions or the uptake of NP by plants.

In vivo and micro chemical analytical methods have the potential to improve our understanding of plant metabolism and development. Benchtop microprobe X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μ-XRF) presents a huge potential for facing this challenge. Excitation beams of 30 μm and 1 mm in diameter were employed to address questions in seed technology, phytopathology, plant physiology, and bioremediation. Different elements were analyzed in several situations of agronomic interest: (i) Examples of μ-XRF yielding quantitative maps that reveal the spatial distribution of zinc in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) primed seeds. (ii) Chemical images daily recorded at a soybean leaf (Glycine max) infected by anthracnose showed that phosphorus, sulfur, and calcium trended to concentrate in the disease spot. (iii) In vivo measurements at the stem of P. vulgaris showed that under root exposure, manganese is absorbed and transported nearly 10-fold faster than iron. (iv) Quantitative maps showed that the lead distribution in a leaf of Eucalyptus hybrid was not homogenous, this element accumulated mainly in the leaf border and midrib, the lead hotspots reached up to 13,400 mg lead kg^-1 fresh tissue weight. These case studies highlight the ability of μ-XRF in performing qualitative and quantitative elemental analysis of fresh and living plant tissues. Thus, it can probe dynamic biological phenomena non-destructively and in real time.

Several factors have contributed to bring pressure on agriculture. In this context, nanomaterial properties can be explored to design more efficient fertilizers and therefore increase productivity. In the present study, the roots of Phaseolus vulgaris were immersed in several nano ZnO dispersions for 48 h. The absorption and transport phenomena were in vivo monitored by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The nanoparticle size, concentration and coating with surfactants affected the rate of Zn release and therefore its uptake. In vivo X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that Phaseolus vulgaris takes up Zn bound to both citrate and malate, while entire nanoparticles were only absorbed when roots were injured. X-ray fluorescence microanalysis unravelled that besides xylem bundles, root to shoot Zn transport can take place through the cortex.