Due to the increasing sewage sludge production in the world and problems with its disposal, an application of sludge to the soil appears to be a suitable solution considering its fertilizer properties and ability to improve the soil physical conditions. On the other hand, the sludge may also contain undesirable and toxic substances. Since soil microorganisms are sensitive to environmental changes, they can be used as indicators of soil quality. In this study, we used sewage sludge (SS) from two municipal wastewater treatment plants (SS-A and SS-B) in the dose of 5 t/ha and 15 t/ha in order to determine possible changes in the fungal community diversity, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), in the rhizosphere of Arundo donax L. Rhizosphere samples were collected in summer and autumn for two consecutive years and the fungal diversity was examined using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and 18S rDNA sequencing. Fungal alpha diversity was more affected by SS-A than SS-B probably due to the higher heavy metal content. However, based on principal component analysis and ANOSIM, significant changes in overall fungal diversity were not observed. Simultaneously, 18S rDNA sequencing showed that more various fungal taxa were detected in the sample with sewage sludge than in the control. Glomus sp. as a representative of AMF was the most represented. Moreover, Funneliformis in both samples and Rhizophagus in control with Septoglomus in the sludge sample were other representatives of AMF. Our results indicate that the short-term sewage sludge application into the soil does not cause a shift in the fungal community composition.

Sewage sludge (SS) is a waste originated from wastewater treatment that could be considered an interesting source of organic matter and nutrients for agricultural production. Our experiments aimed to assess the effect of SS on the growth parameters and the biomass yield of giant reed (Arundo donax L.) plants. Experiments were carried out in pots during two growing seasons, where samples of dried SS were applied in doses of 5 or 15 t ha⁻¹. The number of shoots per plant was significantly higher with the application of 5 t ha⁻¹ of SS into arable soil compared to the control treatment and did not increase with the dose of SS. On the other hand, the height of the plants was gradually elevated with the dose of SS. The diameter of the shoots was positively affected by the dose of 15 t ha⁻¹, and it was the only parameter with significant differences between the used types of SS. The biomass yield increased by 1.2–2.7× depending on the type and dose of SS. Cu and Zn uptake, as micronutrients present in SS, and their accumulation in the aboveground parts were significantly higher for plants cultivated in the presence of SS.

The technology of seed coating with superabsorbent polymer (SAP) has the potential to mitigate the negative impact of drought on seed germination and crop establishment. However, their application on the seed surface can affect the effectiveness of pesticides used for seed treatment in the protection against phytopathogens. In our work, the influence of the Aquaholder^®Seed polymer coating on the effectiveness of fungicides in the protection of germinating seeds of spring barley cv. Bojos and Laudis against the fungal pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana was studied. One-half of the seeds were first treated with fungicides, and then a polymer was applied. Fungicide efficacy was evaluated in a Petri dish test and pot test under the pathogen attack. Seed coating with SAP did not negatively affect fungicide efficacy. The percentage of germinated seeds, seedling emergence, plant height, and symptoms of the disease in the fungicide-treated variants were not significantly changed by the SAP application. Moreover, in cv. Laudis, the application of SAP alone partially protected germinating seeds against pathogen attack. The amount of pathogen DNA in plant tissues of cv. Laudis was not significantly different among seed treatments, while in cv. Bojos, the pathogen DNA increased in seeds coated with SAP alone but decreased in combined treatment with fungicides. These results demonstrated that SAP seed coating does not negatively affect the efficacy of fungicides used for seed protection against fungal pathogens.

Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) applied to soil have been recognized as water reservoirs that allow plants to cope with periods of drought. Their application as a seed coat makes water available directly to the seeds during their germination and early growth phase, but on the other hand, it can affect the efficiency of plant protection substances used in seed dressing. In our experiments, we evaluated the effect of seed coating with SAP on fungicide leaching and changes in their effectiveness in suppressing Fusarium culmorum infestation. Leaching of fungicide from wheat seeds coated with SAP after fungicide dressing, as measured by the inhibition test of mycelium growth under in vitro conditions, was reduced by 14.2–15.8% compared to seeds without SAP coating. Germination of maize seeds and growth of juvenile plants in artificially infected soil did not differ significantly between seeds dressed with fungicide alone and seeds treated with SAP and fungicide. In addition, plants from the seeds coated with SAP alone grew significantly better compared to untreated seeds. Real-time PCR also confirmed this trend by measuring the amount of pathogen DNA in plant tissue. Winter wheat was less tolerant to F. culmorum infection and without fungicide dressing, the seeds were unable to germinate under strong pathogen attack. In the case of milder infection, similar results were observed as in the case of maize seeds.

The current findings show that positron emission tomography (PET), primarily developed for medical diagnostic imaging, can be applied in plant studies to analyze the transport and allocation of wide range of compounds labelled with positronemitting radioisotopes. This work is focused on PET analysis of the uptake and transport of 2-deoxy-2-fluoro[¹⁸F]-D-glucose (2-[¹⁸F]FDG), as a model of photoassimilates, in tissues of giant reed (Arundo donax L. var. versicolor) as a potential energy crop. The absorption of 2-[¹⁸F]FDG and its subsequent transport in plant tissues were evaluated in both acropetal and basipetal direction as well. Visualization and quantification of the uptake and transport of 2-[¹⁸F]FDG in plants immersed with the root system into a 2-[¹⁸F]FDG solution revealed a significant accumulation of 18F radioactivity in the roots. The transport rate in plants was increased in the order of plant exposure through: stem > mechanically damaged root system > intact root system. PET analysis in basipetal direction, when the plant was immersed into the 2-[¹⁸F]FDG solution with the cut area of the leaf of whole plant, showed minimal translocation of 2-[¹⁸F]FDG into the other plant parts. The PET results were verified by measuring the accumulated radioactivity of¹⁸F by direct gamma-spectrometry.

This study was aimed at evaluating the genetic diversity and authentication of apricot cultivars from Slovak and Austrian orchards. Eleven highly polymorphic SSR markers were used to analyse 53 apricot genotypes. A high level of genetic diversity was observed, with a mean of 13 alleles per locus and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.811. The most polymorphic locus, UDP97-402, exhibited a probability of identity of 0.025, indicating a high discriminatory power. Differentiation analyses revealed distinct groupings of cultivars based on geographical origin and pedigree. Central European cultivars, particularly those related to the landrace ‘Hungarian Best’, formed a distinct cluster. Modern Slovakian cultivars, influenced by the genetic background of cultivars from China and Central Asia, showed a higher level of genetic diversity. The Western European and North American cultivars formed a separate cluster. The developed SSR database proved to be effective in identifying apricot cultivars and detecting mislabelled or misidentified samples. A significant proportion (74%) of samples from commercial orchards were properly and correctly labelled, while 26% were mislabelled. Fifty-three per cent of samples from shops without a cultivar name were successfully identified, and their labels were verified. These results highlight the potential of SSR markers for genetic diversity assessment and cultivar identification in apricots. The results contribute to a better understanding of apricot genetic resources and provide valuable information for breeding programmes, germplasm conservation, and cultivar authentication.