Soil contamination with heavy metals is a problem of worldwide concern that is still unsolved. The analysis of the current methods of soil cleaning from heavy metals leads to conclusions that phytoremediation, i.e. soil decontamination by using plants, is one of the best methods. Although this method has not received a wide application yet and possibilities of its application are still being analysed, it is one of the most prospective soil cleaning methods due to low cost and a rather efficient cleaning of the upper surface of soil. Three kinds of Poaceae f. Species – Lolium perenne L., Poa pratensis L. and Festuca pratensis Huds. – have been chosen in this work for decontaminating soil from heavy metals. These plants were grown under artificial laboratory conditions in soil which was once and periodically contaminated with heavy metals. It was established that it is the Lolium perenne L. that most efficiently removes heavy metals and cleans soil. The results of experiments show that the selected grassy plants (perennial ryegrass, meadow-grass and fescue-grass) efficiently clean soil from heavy metals (copper, lead, manganese, zinc, nickel and chromium) when soil contains both low (0.5–120 mg/kg) and high (up to 6,850 mg/kg) concentrations of these metals. Since the perennial ryegrass absorbs the highest amount of heavy metals, the highest efficiency of soil cleaning is achieved using this plant, therefore, 80 % of the mixture of grassy plants was formed of the perennial... [to full text] / Dirvožemio tarša sunkiaisiais metalais visame pasaulyje aktuali problema iki šiol neturinti universalaus sprendimo. Išanalizavus šiuo metu dirvožemio valymui nuo sunkiųjų metalų naudojamus metodus, galima daryti išvadą, kad vienas iš tinkamiausių metodų yra fitoremediacija, t. y. dirvožemio valymas nuo teršalų panaudojant augalus. Šis metodas dar nėra plačiai taikomas ir jo taikymo galimybės dar tik tiriamos tačiau, tai vienas iš perspektyviausių dirvožemio valymo metodų dėl sąlyginai mažos kainos ir pakankamai efektyvaus paviršinio dirvožemio sluoksnio išvalymo. Atliktų eksperimentinių tyrimų rezultatai parodė, kad pasirinkta žolinė augalija – daugiametė svidrė, pievinė miglė ir tikrasis eraičinas efektyviai valo dirvožemį nuo sunkiųjų metalų (vario, švino, mangano, cinko, nikelio, chromo) tiek esant mažoms (0,5–120 mg/kg), tiek didelėms (iki 6850 mg/kg) jų koncentracijoms dirvožemyje. Kadangi daugiausiai sunkiųjų metalų iš dirvožemio sorbuoja svidrė, tai dirvožemio valymo efektyvumas naudojant šią žolinės augalijos rūšį yra efektyviausias ir sudarant žolinės augalijos mišinį 80  sudarė svidrė ir po 10  eraičinas bei miglė. Eksperimentų metu tirta, kaip sunkiųjų metalų mišinio koncentracijos kenkia hidrobiontams ir nustatyta, kad didinat sunkiųjų metalų mišinio koncentracijas (iki 0,198–5,12 g/l) jos tampa letalinėmis vaivorykštiniam upėtakiui, tuo pačiu ir kitiems vandens gyvūnams.Pagal tyrimų su vaivorykštiniais upėtakiais rezultatus nustatyta, kad stebimų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Dirvožemio tarša sunkiaisiais metalais visame pasaulyje aktuali problema iki šiol neturinti universalaus sprendimo. Fitoremediacija – naujai atsirandanti ir daug žadanti technologija nestipriai užterštiems dirvožemiams valyti naudojant augalus. Šiame darbe dirvožemio valymui nuo sunkiųjų metalų pasirinktos trys žolinės augalijos rūšys – svidrė, miglė ir eraičinas, augintos modelinėmis laboratorinėmis sąlygomis vieną kartą ir periodiškai sunkiaisiais metalais teršiamuose dirvožemiuose. Nustatyta, kad geriausiai sunkiuosius metalus iš dirvožemio sorbuoja ir didžiausias dirvožemio valymo efektyvumas pasiekiamas naudojant svidrę. Augalijai sorbuojant sunkiuosius metalus iš dirvožemio dalis šių metalų (Cu, Cr, Zn, Pb, Mn, Ni) koncentruojasi žolinės augalijos šaknyse, tačiau didžioji dalis ten susikaupiančių metalų (iki 90 proc.) pereina į antžeminę augalo dalį. Didžiausios sunkiųjų metalų koncentracijos augale (iki 60 proc. ir daugiau) ir atitinkamai efektyviausias dirvožemio valymas nustatytas svidrės atveju, todėl sudarant mišinį didžiąją dalį (80 proc.) jame sudaro svidrė. Sunkiųjų metalų mišinys daro neigiamą įtaką vaivorykštinio upėtakio jauniklių fiziologiniams ir morfologiniams rodikliams, todėl didinat sunkiųjų metalų mišinio koncentracijas (iki 0,198–5,12 g/l) jos tampa letalinėmis vaivorykštiniams upėtakiams, tuo pačiu ir kitiems vandens gyvūnams. Pagal tyrimų su vaivorykštiniais upėtakiais rezultatus nustatyta, kad stebimų upėtakių, gyvenusių akvariume, užterštame 5,7... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Soil contamination with heavy metals is a problem of worldwide concern that is still unsolved. The analysis of the current methods of soil cleaning from heavy metals leads to conclusions that phytoremediation, i.e. soil decontamination by using plants, is one of the best methods. Although this method has not received a wide application yet and possibilities of its application are still being analysed, it is one of the most prospective soil cleaning methods due to low cost and a rather efficient cleaning of the upper surface of soil. Three kinds of Poaceae f. Species – Lolium perenne L., Poa pratensis L. and Festuca pratensis Huds. – have been chosen in this work for decontaminating soil from heavy metals. These plants were grown under artificial laboratory conditions in soil which was once and periodically contaminated with heavy metals. It was established that it is the Lolium perenne L. that most efficiently removes heavy metals and cleans soil. The results of experiments show that the selected grassy plants (perennial ryegrass, meadow-grass and fescue-grass) efficiently clean soil from heavy metals (copper, lead, manganese, zinc, nickel and chromium) when soil contains both low (0.5–120 mg/kg) and high (up to 6,850 mg/kg) concentrations of these metals. Since the perennial ryegrass absorbs the highest amount of heavy metals, the highest efficiency of soil cleaning is achieved using this plant, therefore, 80 % of the mixture of grassy plants was formed of the perennial... [to full text]

Annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) and roughstalk bluegrass (Poa trivialis L.) are among the most troublesome grass weeds on golf courses throughout the United States. Herbicides for selective control of these weeds in cool-season fairways are limited and ineffective. Methiozolin is a new isoxazoline herbicide that controls annual bluegrass on putting greens and shows promise for possible weed control in fairways. Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) is among the most common turfgrass species used for golf fairways in the Northern United States and its response to methiozolin has scarcely been tested. A 2.5-yr field study was conducted at four Virginia locations to evaluate methiozolin efficacy for selective annual bluegrass and roughstalk bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) or Kentucky bluegrass fairways. Another study evaluated the response of 110 Kentucky bluegrass varieties to three rates of methiozolin. Annual bluegrass has long been presumed to impact putting green trueness, or the ability of the greens canopy to provide a smooth and directionally-consistent ball roll. Although much research has evaluated the impact of greens management on ball roll distance, no peer-reviewed research has evaluated how canopy surface factors, such as weedy annual bluegrass, will influence ball roll direction. Laboratory and field research was conducted to elucidate and overcome experimental errors that may be limiting assessment of ball directional imprecision caused by greens canopy anomalies. Techniques to minimize experimental error were employed in field studies at two Virginia golf courses to determine the influence of annual bluegrass on ball directional imprecision, bounce, and acceleration. Study results suggest that annual bluegrass patches in a creeping bentgrass putting surface can cause subtle increases in ball directional imprecision and bounce but several sources of error must be controlled before these effects can be measured. By using a mechanical putter to avoid directional errors associated with simulated-putt devices, selecting golf balls with balanced centers of gravity, eliminating legacy or "tracking" effects of repeated ball rolls via canopy brushing, and scoring ball direction 30 cm prior to terminal acceleration, we were able to detect an increase in ball directional imprecision of 8 mm m⁻¹ when balls rolled over a single patch of annual bluegrass compared to adjacent rolls on visually-pure creeping bentgrass. In herbicide efficacy studies, methiozolin-only treatments did not significantly injure creeping bentgrass or Kentucky bluegrass, reduce quality, or reduce normalized difference vegetative index regardless of application timings and rates. In general, fall applications of methiozolin reduced roughstalk bluegrass and annual bluegrass cover more than the spring-only treatments. At 1 year after the last treatment, methiozolin at 1500 g ha⁻¹ applied four times in fall at 2-wk intervals for two consecutive years controlled roughstalk bluegrass and annual bluegrass ≥85% and more consistently than other herbicides or treatment regimes. Spanning 110 Kentucky bluegrass varieties, a commercially-acceptable threshold of 30% Kentucky bluegrass injury required between 3.4 to more than 10 times the methiozolin rate needed for annual bluegrass control. Results indicate that annual bluegrass increases directional imprecision and bounce of golf balls rolling across a greens canopy. Methiozolin could be a viable herbicide for managing annual and roughstalk bluegrass in Kentucky bluegrass and creeping bentgrass fairways but weed control efficacy may be dependent on application timing. By measuring small differences in ball directional imprecision as influenced by greens canopy factors, future research efforts will aim to help turf managers choose appropriate greens management techniques. / Ph. D.