Abstract

This paper includes broad literature review about silicon in plants from

its appearance in soils to mechanisms of uptake and transport, and finally accumulation

and content of silicon in plants. Furthermore, the evolutionary aspect of silicon

in plants and its key role for plant growth and development by mitigating negative

effects of various stress factors is highlighted along with its application in agronomy.

Keywords

silicon, plants, evolution, stress mitigation, agronomy

Abstract

Here we summarise the outcomes on biochemical response and growth

of buckwheat with respect to UV radiation, drought and selenium, as well as their

interactions. Buckwheats are taxonomically and morphologically very diverse. They

have been subjected to more or less intensive breeding, which results in higher susceptibility

to environmental constraints including drought and also in different potential to

cope and exploit UV radiation. The responses of different buckwheats to UV, drought

and their combination differed in different species. Selenium treatment may mitigate

negative effects of environmental constraints on buckwheat. Regarding the production

of UV absorbing compounds, buckwheats mainly positively respond to UV dose. Ca

druses in buckwheat seem to be important in affecting UV penetration.

Keywords

buckwheat, UV radiation, drought, selenium

Keywords

Ambrosia artemisiifolia , common ragweed, mowing, sexual repro duction

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the tolerance potential

of Horse gram rhizobia to aluminium (Al) toxicity, the enhancement in pod formation,

symbiotic efficiency and biosorption potential in the rhizobia inoculated Horse

gram ( Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.) plants. Initially, 32 isolates of Horse

gram rhizobia were screened for their tolerance of Al in growth media. Among the 32

strains, HGR 4, 6, 13 and 25 that were more tolerant were inoculated individually to

Horse gram plants and the plants were then screened for the ability of pod formation,

symbiotic efficiency and biosorption potential. Among them, maximum pod formation

was observed in Horse gram upon inoculation with HGR-6 and grown at 400 μg

g -1 of Al. Maximum nodulation was observed in Horse gram upon inoculation with

HGR-6 and HGR-13 grown at 200 μg g -1 Al. Leghaemoglobin content was maximum

on inoculation with HGR-13 at 400 μg g -1 of Al. The strain HGR-13 has shown biosorption

potential in soil and as well as in root nodules even at 300 μg g -1 of Al though

it was maximum at 100 μg g -1 . This study demonstrated that the Horse gram plants

inoculated with Rhizobium strains HGR - 4, 6, 13 and 25, besides having nitrogen fixing

ability also have the ability to grow in Al contaminated soils. Hence, Horse gram

plants associated with these strains of rhizobia could be used in phytoremediation of

metal (Al) contaminated soils.

Keywords

Aluminium, biosorption, metal tolerance, phytoremediation, Rhizobium , symbiotic efficiency.

Abstract

Health education constituted an individual subject in secondary schools

in Slovenia before 1985. Thereafter it was disintegrated and its topics incorporated

into different school subjects. Health education topics are required in the extent of 15

hours in upper secondary general education schools, but in the extent of 0 to 18 hours in

other secondary school programmes. The present study compared the knowledge about

sexually transmitted infections of pupils of two 4-year secondary school programmes

with different health education requirements. The results demonstrated that different

accessibility of school health education results in distinct differences in knowledge about

the existence, sources of infection, symptoms, and protection against sexually transmitted

infections between pupils of different secondary school programmes. Despite the

general conception of overloaded curriculums, more than two thirds of pupils of both

educational programmes expressed the need of receiving more information in sexual

education topics, with systematic medical exam selected as the most suitable form of

sexual education, closely followed by Biology class, and school project day. The results

call for the attention of educational policy makers, as they clearly emphasise the need

of establishing systematic and comprehensive school health education for all pupils,

not only for those enrolled in the selected secondary school programmes.

Keywords

s exually transmitted infections, sexual education, health education,

secondary education