Scientific Research Publishing

Read  full  paper  at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=53247#.VLh7hMnQrzE Author(s)    Jin Hu 1 , Zhaohui Deng 2 , Bin Wang 1 , Yuan Zhi 1 , Bingxue Pei 1 , Guangyu Zhang 1 , Mingdan Luo 1 , Banglian Huang 1 , Wenhua Wu 1* , Bangquan Huang 1   Affiliation(s) 1 Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Green Transformation of Bio-Resources, College of Life Science, Hubei University, Wuhan, China . 2 Vocational and Technical College of Anshun, Anshun, China . ABSTRACT The influence of essential (Cu, Ni and Zn) and non-essential heavy metals (Hg, Cr, Pb and Cd) on seed germination and early seedling growth in industrial oil crop Crambe abyssinica was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Our results indicated that among the 7 heavy metals tested only Cu and Hg significantly (P < 0.01) decreased Crambe seed germination in a dose-dependent manner at higher concentrations while certain Cr concentrations...

Read  full  paper  at: http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=48651#.VK4Z_snQrzE Author(s)     Gertrud Konings-Dudin , Michelle J. Butcher , Jesus A. Castor-Macías , Benjamin Kohanloo , Michelle Garcia Affiliation(s) Biology Department, El Paso Community College, El Paso, USA . Biology Department, El Paso Community College, El Paso, USA . Biology Department, El Paso Community College, El Paso, USA . Biology Department, El Paso Community College, El Paso, USA . Biology Department, El Paso Community College, El Paso, USA . ABSTRACT <span "="">Endomycorrhizal fungi play an important role in the survival of plants on poor soils. Planting seeds into lunar soil at a lunar colony will be a challenge for seeds of any plant. The seeds will need a special microbial “tool kit” that will help them germinate and the young seedlings establish themselves. In this study, seeds of the prickly pear cactus, Opuntia ficus-in...