Use of X-ray Mutagenesis to Increase Genetic Diversity of Zantedeschia aethiopica for Early Flowering, Improved Tolerance to Bacterial Soft Rot, and Higher Yield

The development of new cultivars is important for the profitability of the floriculture industry. There is a limited number of cultivars of Zantedeschia aethiopica, an iconic ornamental cut flower, garden plant, and potted plant, because of the incompatibility of interspecific crossings within the genus. Most present-day varieties are the result of spontaneous mutations or classical breeding within the species, followed by a long selection process. Here, Z. aethiopica mutants were generated by treating seeds with 100 Gy of X-ray radiation. The resulting putative mutants were selected based on particular flowering parameters and compared to nonirradiated, control plants. Over two growing seasons, characteristics such as early flowering, flower size and shape, yield, and response to soft-rot disease were monitored, and considerable variation was observed among the mutated lines. Out of 319 mutants, 20 lines were selected based on their phenotypes and then propagated and further analyzed. Within this group, only two phenotypes displayed at least five improved flowering properties under natural Mediterranean conditions. The rest displayed two to four desired combinations of flowering traits, some with great commercial potential.

Use of X-Ray Mutagenesis to Increase Genetic Diversity of Zantedeschia aethiopica for Early Flowering, Improved Tolerance to Bacterial Soft Rot and Higher Yield

The development of new cultivars is important for the profitability of the floriculture industry. There are a limited number of cultivars of Zantedeschia aethiopica, an iconic ornamental cut flower, garden plant, and potted plant, due to the incompatibility of interspecific crossings within the genus. Most present-day varieties are the result of spontaneous mutations or classical breeding within the species, followed by a long selection process. Breeders are very interested in the development of a time- and cost-effective method for producing new Z. aethiopica cultivars with novel characteristics. Here, Z. aethiopica mutants were generated by treating seeds with 100 Gy of X-ray radiation. The resulting putative mutants were selected based on particular flowering parameters and compared to non-irradiated, control plants. Over two growing seasons, characteristics such as early flowering, flower size and shape, yield and response to soft-rot disease were monitored and considerable variation was observed among the mutated lines. Out of 319 mutants, 20 lines were selected based on their phenotypes and then propagated and further analyzed. Within this group, only two phenotypes displayed at least five improved flowering properties under natural, Mediterranean conditions. The rest displayed two to four desired combinations of flowering traits, some with great commercial potential.

Eficiencia de Nasturtium officinale W T. Aiton y Zantedeschia aethiopica L. en la remoción de materia orgánica de aguas residuales domésticas

<p>El estudio de plantas acuáticas con potencial biorremediador de aguas residuales, permite conocer su aplicación en zonas rurales. El principal objetivo de este estudio fue comparar la eficiencia de las plantas acuáticas <em>Nasturtium officinale </em>y <em>Zantedeschia aethiopica </em>en el tratamiento del agua residual doméstica. Para llevarlo a cabo se diseñó e implementó el sistema de tratamiento con ambas especies consistente en estanques de vidrio, con sustrato de carbón de leña, arena y grava; donde se sembraron las especies acuáticas citadas; se procedió con el período de adaptación de ambas especies. Luego se realizaron los análisis fisicoquímicos de las muestras antes y después del tratamiento, obteniendo los datos y realizando un análisis de T-Student y gráficos estadísticos. Se encontró que la planta acuática <em>Zantedeschia aethiopica </em>es más eficiente para remover la materia orgánica, ya que esta alcanzó un 89%, a diferencia de <em>Nasturtium officinale </em>obtuvo un 79.5% de remoción en promedio.</p>

Environmental, Economic, and Social Potentialities of Ornamental Vegetation Cultivated in Constructed Wetlands of Mexico

Sustainable development implies the proper use of natural resources, such as water resources, but the environmental, economic, and social benefits should also be considered. In the water sector, for example, sanitation is one of the challenges that arise in rural localities. However, issues related to it may be solved with the use of constructed wetlands (CWs), which may allow the cultivation of ornamental plants with phytoremediation properties. Through a content analysis, the environmental, economic, and social potential of ornamental species used in Mexico for phytoremediation in CWs is documented in this study. The environmental potential of the plants was considered based on their phytoremediation properties. The economic potential was determined from research articles and from the National Agri-Food Information System. The social potential was analyzed considering the ornamental and artisanal use of the plants. In total, 21 species of phytoremediation plants were identified. Anthurium andreanum and Zantedeschia aethiopica stand out for their commercial value, reported in 2018 to be 272,875 and 30,318 USD, respectively, at the national level. The social potential was identified by the ornamental or artisanal use for flower arrangements and weaving. This study reveals that the use of CWs with ornamental vegetation is a sustainable option to clean wastewater, reuse water, and generate economic incentives. Thus, it is essential to provide the community with adequate training for the management of CWs in those sites that lack treatment systems.

Performance Comparison of Vertical Flow Treatment Wetlands Planted with the Ornamental Plant Zantedeschia aethiopica Operated under Arid and Mediterranean Climate Conditions

This work compares the performance of vertical subsurface flow treatment wetlands (VSSF TWs) for wastewater treatment, planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica (Za), here operated simultaneously under two different climate conditions, arid and Mediterranean. The experimental setup was divided into two treatment lines for each climate condition: three VSSF TWs planted with Schoenplectus californicus (Sc) (VSSF-S), as the control, and three VSSF TWs planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica (Za) (VSSF-Z), as the experimental unit. The four treatment systems were operated at a hydraulic loading rate of 120 mm/d during spring and summer seasons, in two locations, Iquique (Atacama Desert, Chile) and Talca (Central Valley, Chile). The water quality in effluents, plant development, and water balance were used as performance measures. In terms of the water quality, the influents’ characteristics were similar in both climates and classified as “diluted”. For the effluents, in both climate conditions, average COD and TSS effluent concentrations were below 50 mg/L and 15 mg/L, respectively. In both climate conditions, average TN and TP effluent concentrations were below 40 mg/L and 2 mg/L, respectively. Furthermore, only total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in effluents to VSSF-Z had a significant effect (p < 0.05) in relation to the climate condition. Regarding plant development, Za showed a lower height growth in both climate conditions, with arid consistently 0.3 m and Mediterranean decreasing from 0.6 m to 0.2 m. However, the physiological conditions of the leaves (measured by chlorophyll content) were not affected during operation time in both climates. Water balance showed that it was not influenced by the climate conditions or plant, with water loss differences below 5%. Therefore, taking into account the water quality and water balance results, Zantedeschia aethiopica can be used in VSSF TWs in a way similar to traditional plants under arid and Mediterranean climates. However, its use has to be carefully considered because lower height could affect the esthetics for its implementation in the VSSF TWs.

Bioelectricity Generation and Production of Ornamental Plants in Vertical Partially Saturated Constructed Wetlands

Energy production in constructed wetlands is a little-known field, as is the operation of vertical partially saturated constructed wetlands (VPS-CWs) that promote both aerobic and anaerobic microbial interactions. By doing so, bacterial degradation is increased, becoming the main mechanism of pollutant removal in constructed wetlands (CWs). For the first time, the generation of bioelectricity, together with the production of ornamental plants in vertical partially saturated constructed wetlands during the treatment of domestic wastewater, was evaluated. Six VPS-CW systems functioned as bioelectricity generators, where the systems were filled with red volcanic gravel and activated carbon as anode and cathode. Three systems were planted with Zantedeschia aethiopica and three with Canna hybrids plants. The development was measured through mother plants and shoots produced every 60 days. The input and output of each VPS-CW was monitored using control parameters such as BOD5, phosphates (P-PO4), and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN). Bioelectricity, power, voltage, and current measurements were performed every 15 days for a period of 7 months. It was found that the VPS-CWs used as biobatteries in combination with the use of domestic wastewater as a substrate improved the development of the two evaluated plant species and stimulated growth and germination of new shoots. No significant differences were found between the different treatments (p ≤ 0.05). Likewise, an average efficient removal of BOD5 (98%) for both systems without statistical differences was observed (p ≤ 0.05), but for TKN and P-PO4, significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found between systems planted with Z. aethiopica (TKN: 65%; P-PO4: 20%) and Canna hybrids (TKN: 69%; P-PO4: 27%). This method of water treatment and bioelectricity production with Canna hybrids was an efficient system that generated a great electric current (140 mA/m2), voltage (750 mV), and electric power (15 mW/m2), compared with those observed in systems with Z. aethiopica (60 mA/m2, 500 mV, 9 mA/m2).

Host Specificity and Differential Pathogenicity of Pectobacterium Strains from Dicot and Monocot Hosts

Recent phylogenetic studies have transferred certain isolates from monocot plants previously included in the heterogeneous group of Pectobacteriumcarotovorum (Pc) to a species level termed Pectobacterium aroidearum. The specificity of Pectobacterium associated infections had received less attention, and may be of high scientific and economic importance. Here, we have characterized differential responses of Pectobacterium isolates from potato (WPP14) and calla lily (PC16) on two typical hosts: Brassica oleracea var. capitata (cabbage) a dicot host; and Zantedeschia aethiopica (calla lily) a monocot host. The results revealed clear host specific responses following infection with the two bacterial strains. This was demonstrated by differential production of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and the expression of plant defense-related genes (pal, PR-1, lox2, ast). A related pattern was observed in bacterial responses to each of the host’s extract, with differential expression of virulence-related determinants and genes associated with quorum-sensing and plant cell wall-degrading enzymes. The differences were associated with each strain’s competence on its respective host.

Capacity of Two Ornamental Species (Iris sibirica and Zantedeschia aethiopica) to Take up, Translocate, and Accumulate Carbamazepine under Hydroponic Conditions

Iris sibirica and Zantedeschia aethiopica are ornamental species that have previously been used in pilot-scale treatment wetlands (TWs) focused on the removal of carbamazepine (CBZ), in which good results were obtained; however, the plant influence was not completely determined. In addition, plant uptake has been reported to play a crucial role in CBZ removal in comparison to other mechanisms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of I. sibirica and Z. aethiopica to take up, translocate, and accumulate CBZ in hydroponic conditions using a nutrient solution spiked with the drug. The maximum CBZ tolerance threshold for the two species was found to be 10 mg/L, which was used to carry out the uptake experiments. The results showed a better performance of I. sibirica compared to Z. aethiopica reaching 31.1% and 20.9% of removal efficiency, respectively. The parent compound accumulated mainly on the leaves of both species. Furthermore, a high proportion of the CBZ taken up by the plants (up to 70%) was metabolized by both species. The performance of the two species suggests the importance of plant harvesting in TWs in order to promote CBZ removal and indicates the need for future works.

Fitorremediación mediante las especies palustre y flotante, Zantedeschia aethiopica y Eichhornia crassipes en el tratamiento de aguas residuales domésticas en la zona de la región natural Quechua-Cajamarca

La investigación tuvo el propósito de evaluar la eficiencia del sistema de fitorremediación mediante las especies palustre (Zantedeschia aethiopica) y flotante (Eichhornia crassipes) en el tratamiento de aguas residuales domésticas en la región natural Quechua-Cajamarca, para ello se ubicó el punto de captación y la ubicación del proyecto, posteriormente se diseñó e implementó el sistema de tratamiento considerando infiltraciones en el humedal subsuperficial horizontal que contuvo al sustrato, el agua a tratar, la especie Zantedeschia aethiopica con las medidas (ancho = 1.16 m, largo = 2.32 m, altura = 0.5 m) seguido del humedal superficial compuesto por el agua a tratar y la especie Eichhornia crassipes (ancho = 1.39 m, largo = 2.78 m, altura = 0.40 m). El tratamiento duró 90 días, luego se monitoreo en la entrada y salida los parámetros fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos cuyos resultados de remoción dieron para Aceites y grasas 76%, DBO5 95%, DQO 92%, SST 95%, turbidez 96%, N-NH3 64%, Conductividad 59%, y los valores más bajos fueron Color 34% y CTT 22%. En el análisis, el LMP que no cumplió únicamente fue CTT y los demás sí, no obstante para los ECA cumplieron Aceites y Grasas, Color, Conductividad, temperatura, pH, SST, turbidez, y aquellos que no cumplieron N-NH3, DBO5, DQO, OD y CTT. En conclusión se alcanzó un 70% de eficiencia de remoción, los parámetros que no lograron la remoción adecuada para cumplir el LMP y ECA por completo indican la necesidad de implementar un tratamiento primario.