Impact of Intensive Farming on Soil Heavy Metal Accumulation and Biomarkers Responses of Earthworms Eisenia andrei
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Impact of Intensive Farming on Soil Heavy Metal Accumulation and Biomarkers Responses of Earthworms Eisenia andrei Sabrine Hattab1 · Iteb Boughattas2 · Marouane Mkhinini2 · Mohamed Banni2 Received: 26 March 2020 / Accepted: 16 September 2020 / Published online: 24 September 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract In this work, we propose to evaluate the effect of agriculture intensification under greenhouses on the biochemical and transcriptomic responses of the earthworms Eisenia andrei. This work was conducted on two sites in Téboulba and Sahline (Monastir governorate) and a control site in an experimental plot that is undergoing organic farming. For this purpose, the earthworms Eisenia andrei were exposed to the soils during 7 and 14 days. The physicochemical properties of the soils were analyzed. The biochemical biomarkers of metallothioneins (MTs) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulations were also assessed. Moreover, the gene expression level of the MTs was analyzed. The results of our study revealed a significant trace element accumulation accompanied by a high level of MDA and MT proteins. Moreover, a significant expression of the MT gene was observed in earthworms exposed to the soils from Sahline and Téboulba. Hence, this work reveals that intensive agriculture can affect the biological responses of earthworms and consequently, the soil’s biofertility. Keywords Agriculture intensification · Earthworms · Metallothionein · Malondialdehydes · Gene expression In the last decades, rapid urbanization and the fast-growing economy has led to a significant increase in the demand for agricultural products (Headey and Jayne 2014; Otsuka and Place 2014). In addition, industrial expansion is predicted to swallow up large parts of agricultural land in the coming years (Eickhout et al. 2007; Zhen et al. 2010). Under this pressure, farmers had to reduce their agricultural area and increase their productivity. In this context, intensification represented a potent way to increase production, reduce the conversion of natural ecosystems, and consequently, to increase gains (Jankowski et al. 2018). Intensive farming also claims an overuse of fertilizers, efficient machines, a * Iteb Boughattas [email protected] Sabrine Hattab [email protected] Marouane Mkhinini [email protected] Mohamed Banni [email protected] 1
Regional Research Centre in Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, Chott‑Mariem, 4042 Sousse, Tunisia
Laboratory of Biochemistry and Environmental Toxicology, Higher Institute of Agronomy, 4042 Chott‑Meriem, Tunisia
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good irrigation system, novel or genetically modified crop varieties, and especially, chemicals (Naidu et al. 1995; Moolenaar et al. 1997; Loveland and Webb 2003; Weller et al. 2002; Bonanomi et al. 2016). Interestingly, earthworms have been regarded as key organisms that ensure the aeration of soils, the availability of important minerals for plants and microorganisms, and the remediation of soil pollution. For these reasons, t
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