The occurrence of heterotrophic CO(2) fixation by soil microorganisms was tested in several mineral soils differing in pH and two artificial soils (a mixture of silica sand, alfalfa powder, and nutrient medium inoculated with a soil suspension). Soils were incubated at ambient ( approximately 0.05 vol%) and elevated ( approximately 5 vol%) CO(2) concentrations under aerobic conditions for up to 21 days. CO(2) fixation was detected using either a technique for determining the natural abundance of (13)C or by measuring the distribution of labeled (14)C-CO(2) in soil and bacteria. The effects of elevated CO(2) on microbial biomass (direct counts, chloroform fumigation extraction method), composition of microbial community (phospholipid fatty acids), microbial activity (respiration, dehydrogenase activity), and turnover rate were also measured. Heterotrophic CO(2) fixation was proven in all soils under study, being higher in neutral soils. The main portion of the fixed CO(2) (98-99%) was found in extracellular metabolites while only approximately 1% CO(2) was incorporated into microbial cells. High CO(2) concentration always induced an increase in microbial activity, changes in the composition of the microbial community, and a decrease in microbial turnover. The results suggest that heterotrophic CO(2) fixation could be a widespread process in soils.

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ABSTRACT:Mapping of the with-in field variability of crop vigor has a long tradition with a success rate ranging from medium to high depending on the local conditions of the study. Information about the development of agronomical relevant crop parameters, such as aboveground biomass and crop nutritional status, provides high reliability for yield estimation and recommendation for variable rate application of fertilizers. The aim of this study was to utilize unmanned and satellite multispectral imaging for estimation of basic crop parameters during the growing season. The experimental part of work was carried out in 2014 at the winter wheat field with an area of 69 ha located in the South Moravia region of the Czech Republic. An UAV imaging was done in April 2014 using Sensefly eBee, which was equipped by visible and near infrared (red edge) multispectral cameras. For ground truth calibration the spectral signatures were measured on 20 sites using portable spectroradiometer ASD Handheld 2 and simultaneously plant samples were taken at BBCH 32 (April 2014) and BBCH 59 (Mai 2014) for estimation of above-ground biomass and nitrogen content. The UAV survey was later extended by selected cloud-free Landsat 8 OLI satellite imagery, downloaded from USGS web application Earth Explorer. After standard pre-processing procedures, a set of vegetation indices was calculated from remotely and ground sensed data. As the next step, a correlation analysis was computed among crop vigor parameters and vegetation indices. Both, amount of aboveground biomass and nitrogen content were highly correlated (r > 0.85) with ground spectrometric measurement by ASD Handheld 2 in BBCH 32, especially for narrow band vegetation indices (e.g. Red Edge Inflection Point). UAV and Landsat broadband vegetation indices varied in range of r = 0.5 -0.7, highest values of the correlation coefficients were obtained for crop biomass by using GNDVI. In all cases results from BBCH 59 vegetation stage showed lower relationship to vegetation indices. Total amount of aboveground biomass was identified as the most important factor influencing the values of vegetation indices. Based on the results can be assumed that UAV and satellite monitoring provide reliable information about crop parameters for site specific crop management. The main difference of their utilization is coming from their specification and technical limits. Satellite survey can be used for periodic monitoring of crops as the indicator of their spatial heterogeneity within fields, but with low resolution (30 m per pixel for OLI). On the other hand UAV represents a special campaign aimed on the mapping of high-detailed spatial inputs for site specific crop management and variable rate application of fertilizers.

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The structures of elymoclavine-O^-D-fructofuranoside {!] and a new elymoclavine-0^-D-fructofuranosyl-(2>-*l)-0^-D-fructofuranoside [2} produced in saprophytic cultures of strains Claviceps sp. SD 58 and Claviceps purpurea 88 EP on sucrose medium are described. The structures have been determined on the basis of uv, ms, and 2D-nmr data and a degradation procedure.Elymoclavine-O^-D-fructoside has been isolated from a saprophytic culture of Claviceps strain SD 58 by Floss et al. ( 1). This alkaloid was formed from elymoclavine and from the sucrose present in the medium by the action of the enzyme invertase present in the fungal mycelia. Invertase transferred the fructose moiety from sucrose to the hydroxyl group of elymoclavine. The invertase (fructosyl transferase) activity was most probably responsible for the formation of oligosaccharides in submerged cultures of C. purpurea grown on a sucrose-ammonia medium in aerated fermentors (2). These oligosaccharides contained D-glucose as the reducing unit and one, two, and three 0-ß-D-fructofuranosyl units.The present report deals with structure determination and production of natural elymoclavine fructosides 1 and 2 under conditions of submerged fermentation. EXPERIMENTALStrains.-The strain Claviceps sp. SD 58 (ATCC 26019), deposited in the Collection of Microorganisms, Institute of Microbiology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, was obtained from Prof. J.A. Anderson

Kinetics of transformation of S-acetyl- and S-benzoylisothiouronium chlorides have been followed, and its reaction products in dilute hydrochloric acid media and aqueous buffers have been identified. In dilute hydrochloric acid the reaction rate is pH-independent, and the acetyl derivative reacts 8 times as rapidly as the benzoyl derivative. In acetate and phosphate buffers the decomposition rate of the both derivatives increases linearly with the buffer concentration. In acetate buffers the reaction rate is pH-independent, and acetate ion reacts as a nucleophile. In phosphate buffers the rate increases with increasing pH. The reaction catalyzed by the basic buffer component produces thiourea and carboxylic acid, that catalyzed by hydroxyl ion produces N-acetyl- or N-benzoylthiourea. The solvolysis rates of both S-acyl derivatives depend on percent composition of water-methanol solvent. The maximum solvolysis rate is reached in methanol with 25% (v/v) water.

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