Heavy metal accumulation in arable land as a result of mining activities, pesticides and fertilisers has become a global concern. Steinkopf and Concordia in the Northern Cape are well-known for subsistence farming, but just as well-known for the nearby copper mining industry. Very little research has been done on heavy metal toxicity in these areas, thus it was of importance to assess the wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum) historically used in the study areas, to ensure the viability of wheat farming. The nine wheat cultivars screened were Flameks, Knoppies, Rooiwol, Rooigys, Yecoro Royo, Charchia, Witwol, Kariega and Losper. A comparative study was done by determining the concentration levels of Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, K, Mg, Ca, Na, N and P in the roots and shoots of sensitive and tolerant wheat cultivars. It was established that Witwol and Rooigys were the most tolerant to these adverse conditions. Kariega and Rooiwol were most sensitive. Their tolerance was achieved by excluding copper from the roots and limiting the translocation of copper to the shoots. This trend to exclude copper uptake in Witwol and Rooigys, warrants further investigation on a molecular level to explain these adaptive mechanisms.

It has been demonstrated that the toxicity of heavy metals depends on their chemical speciation and can be related to their free ion activities, rather than the total metal concentrations (Steemann- Nielsen and Wium-Andersen, 1970; Sunda and Guillard, 1976; Andrew, Biesinger, and Glass, 1977; Anderson, Morel and Guillard, 1978). The objective of this study was to determine the effect of combined free ions of zinc and copper on the toxicity to the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum. This alga was grown in a defined medium, under controlled laboratory conditions, with a varying range of zinc and copper concentrations. The growth rate of the alga was inhibited at pZn = 5.93 or at pCu = 7.24. The results suggest that when the chemical speciation of combined zinc and copper is taken into account, there is little or no toxic interaction between the two metal ions.

Copper and Zn deficiencies of crop plants occur in various areas throughout the world. The sulfate forms of Cu and Zn are generally used to correct these micronutrient deficiencies. In agricultural practices, Cu and Zn are applied to soils not only as a fertilizer but also as manures, pesticides and waste materials such as sewage sludge. High levels of Cu and Zn application to agricultural soils are considered to pose a potential hazard to plants and animals. Research findings have not established Cu and Zn levels that either injure plants or increase Cu and Zn concentrations in edible plant portions to undesirably high levels. Published data on the fate of applied Cu and Zn indicate that there is little, if any, downward movement of these micronutrients in soils and that, with time, applied Cu and Zn revert to plant unavailable forms in soils. / Master of Science

The effect of variations in aluminum and copper concentrations on the growth rate and enzyme activity of the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda was investigated. The goal was to determine which chemical species control the biological parameters. The computer program MINEQL (Westal et al 1976) was used to estimate chemical speciation. In the prevalence of both metals, algal growth rate and alkaline phosphatase activity could be correlated to cupric ion activity. The activity of isolated bacterial alkaline phosphatase was found to be a function of both total copper concentration and cupric ion activity. A model was developed to predicted the effects on alkaline phosphatase of perturbation in aquatic chemistry.

Three studies, two field and one laboratory, were performed to evaluate Cu or Cu and Zn from either sulfate sources or Cu-enriched pig manure. The studies were designed to investigate the effects of Cu and Zn in soils and corn (Zea mays L.). The first field study consisted of continuing a longterm field experiment which was established in 1967 to evaluate corn response and changes in a Davidson clay loam soil to yearly additions of Cu and Zn sulfates. In 1983, the 17 annual additions of Cu and Zn resulted in cumulative totals of 280 kg Cu and 560 kg Zn ha⁻¹. These Cu and Zn additions, either alone or together, did not cause any grain or stalk yield decreases. The DTPA extractant effectively separated all soil treatment levels for both Cu and Zn. Copper concentrations in the blades and grain were not related to soil additions of Cu or Zn. However, Zn concentrations in blades and grain were directly related to each other, r=0.87**, to soil Zn treatment levels and to DTPA extractable Zn. The second field experiment was designed to evaluate the effects of soil application of Cu-enriched pig manure and CuSO₄ on corn. The five treatments in each of three field locations consisted of a control, low and high Cu-enriched pig manure levels, and Cu, as CuSO₄, equivalent to Cu amounts in the manure. The soils varied in texture from clay loam to fine sandy loam, and ranged in CEC from 5 to 12.3 cmol(+) kg⁻¹. Copper-enriched pig manure, containing 1285 mg Cu kg⁻¹, was produced by pigs fed diets supplemented with 242 mg Cu kg⁻¹. After six years, 198 mg Cu kg⁻¹ had been applied by the high treatments. The DTPA extractable Cu was not related to leaf nor grain Cu levels but was linearly related, r=O.95**, to applied Cu. No nutrient deficiencies or toxicities were observed. The third study was a laboratory incubation of added Cu. The 15 soils ranged from 54 to 489 mg kg⁻¹ in clay and from 5.4 to 7.4 in pH. Extractable Cu had simple correlations with five soil properties, clay, surface area, hydrous Al, hydrous Fe, and hydrous Mn. Three treatments, a control and 22 kg ha⁻¹ Cu as CuSO₄, and as Cu-enriched pig manure (equivalent to 975 mt wet manure ha⁻¹), were applied to the soils at 33 k Pa moisture. Copper was extracted in the following order for the control and CuSO₄, treatments: AlCl₃ in O.5M HC1 > EDTA > DTPA. A different order of Cu extraction occurred for the Cu-enriched pig manure treatment such that EDTA > DTPA > AlCl₃ in 0.5M HC1. Extractable Cu decreased with time regardless of Cu source. / Ph. D. / incomplete_metadata

En utilisant le binôme Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34-Solanacées comme un modèle et comme un point de<p>départ, une étude sur l'interaction entre les plantes et les bactéries sur un substrat pollué par le cuivre a été menée<p>dans deux directions:<p>1 °) une étude en conditions de laboratoire sur les capacités de C. metallidurans CH34 à interagir avec Nicotiana<p>plumbaginifolia (les solanacées)<p>2 °) une étude sur le terrain visant à examiner les interactions entre cuprophytes et bactéries résistantes aux<p>métaux des régions minières du Katanga.<p>La première partie inclut une étude in silico visant à établir un catalogue des gènes C. metallidurans CH34<p>potentiellement impliqués par les interactions plantes-bactéries. Ce catalogue, tout en se reposant sur le génome<p>proche de Ralstonia solanacearum, bactérie phytopathogène de plusieurs espèces végétales appartenant<p>principalement à la famille des Solanaceae, il n'a pas pris en compte les orthologues des gènes clés de la<p>virulence de cette phytopathogène. Les gènes correspondants de C. metallidurans étaient situées sur les deux<p>chromosomes et ont des orthologues dans tous les génomes séquencés des Cupriavidus / Ralstonia et dans<p>Enterobacter sp. 638, endophyte de peuplier. L'étude transcriptomique, à l'aide de «microarray» a montré que<p>certains de ces gènes étaient induits, notamment des gènes impliqués dans la mobilité flagellaire (comme motA)<p>et dans la synthèse des polysaccharides extracellulaires étaient surexprimés pendant le contact entre les plantes et<p>les bactéries, tandis que phcA (impliqué dans la détection de la densité de population et dans la conversion<p>phénotypique) et des gènes impliqués dans la biosynthèse de pili étaient sousexprimés dans les conditions<p>expérimentales testées. En outre, le contact avec les plantes semble avoir induit la surexpression des gènes<p>impliqués dans la réponse de cuivre et d'autres métaux. La capacité de C. metallidurans CH34 à coloniser<p>l'endosphere de N. plumbaginifolia a été confirmée in vitro ainsi qu'un effet de promotion de la croissance des<p>plantes dans certaines conditions. Mais la densité de la colonisation (104-106 c.f.u/g. poids frais) est<p>considérablement réduite dans des conditions non stériles et en l'absence de pression de sélection métallique.<p>La deuxième partie de l'étude s'est concentrée sur la microbiologie de cuprophytes (Haumaniastrum katagense et<p>Crepidorhopalon tenuis) dans l'arc cuprifère du Katanga: des isolats Cuprorésistants appartenant aux genres<p>Stenotrophomonas et Sphingomonas prédominent dans la rhizosphère alors que des isolats appartenant aux<p>genres Methylobacterium, Xanthomonas et Variovorax prédominent dans l'endosphere. Certaines de ces<p>bactéries sont plus résistantes au Cu(II), à des concentrations minimales inhibitrices (MIC) allant jusqu'à 5 mM,<p>que C. metallidurans CH34 (MIC: 1,5 mM) et la plupart d'entre elles résistent également aux Zn(II), Co(II) et<p>Cd(II). Des isolats appartenant au genre Cupriavidus/Ralstonia ont été détectés dans la rhizosphère des<p>cuprophytes ainsi que les séquences 16S rDNA de C. metallidurans ont été également détectées dans l'ADN<p>total extrait des cuprophytes. La détection via la réaction de la polymérase en chaîne (PCR) de gènes de<p>résistance au cuivre correspondant à des protéines periplasmiques a confirmé la présence dans les bactéries<p>cuprorésistantes, principalement de copA et dans une moindre mesure celle de copK. Mais les gènes homologues<p>de copA et de copK n'ont pas été détectés dans tous les bactéries du genre Methylobacterium dont les membres<p>ont été pourtant les plus résistants aux métaux. Certaines bactéries isolées sont capables d'interagir avec le<p>système hormonal végétal et quelques unes semblent également manifester un effet de promotion de la<p>croissance des plantes. Les premières tentatives d'élaboration de protocoles de reinoculation des bactéries<p>endophytic cuprorésistantes dans Haumaniastrum katagense ont été effectués. La biologie moléculaire et<p>l'écologie des interactions plantes-bactéries et des mécanismes de résistance métallique décrits dans ce travail<p>peuvent préparer la voie à de nouvelles applications en bioremédiation (phytostabilization / phytoextraction de<p>métaux toxiques). / Doctorat en Sciences / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished