Was curious about the effects of EDTA on nematodes and was reading a research article and got a good laugh:
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Abstract
Effects of Cd, Cr, Se and Zn at a maximum rate of 270 mg kg1 were studied on a nematode assemblage after 6/10 years of application. Winter wheat, sunflower, sorrel, barley and rape were grown on the experimental field. Cd had a moderate effect on nematodes in spite of the fact that this element significantly decreased plant biomass. Cr was harmful to plants only in the first year of the study. However, Cr decreased Aporcelaimellus density and maturity index, increased Pratylenchus density and bacterial/fungal ratio, changed the c-p structure and feeding type composition. Se proved to be very toxic at a concentration of 11 mg kg1 (NH4-acetate/EDTA soluble form). Some advantageous effects of Zn were found in the first year. These disappeared later on. Remarkable between-year fluctuations of the nematode assemblage composition were observed.
# 2003 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Soil pollution; Heavy metals; Microelements; Nematode assemblage
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1. Introduction
Heavy metals and micro elements from different sources, mainly from industry, traffic, wet or dry deposition, sewage sludge, fertilization, and pesticide application pollute agro ecosystems. Besides the crop plants other components of the system, as nematode assemblage are also affected (
Bongers and Bongers, 1998;
Bongers and Ferris, 1999; Yeates and
Bongers, 1999; Ferris et al., 2001).
There is relatively little information on the long term effects of heavy metals and micro elements on the nematode assemblage of the agro ecosystems.
Weiss and Larink (1991) examined the effect of heavy metal contaminated sewage sludge on agricultural field. They found that a mixture of heavy metals in sewage sludge increased nematode density. This was a consequence of growth of bacterial (especially Rhabditid) and fungal feeder nematode populations. On the other side, density....
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What are the odds that a stoner, hitting on his
bong while researching the effects of chelating agents on nematodes, would come across a research paper in which previous research is cited coming from a biologist named "
Bongers"?
... and the world gets ever smaller...