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Biological sampling for biomass estimation is a highly labor intensive process that can benefit from automation using computer vision. In this paper two algorithms the Green Layer Extraction (GLE) method and Morphology and Marker Controlled Watershed Transformation (MMCWT) method are proposed for the estimation of frond (leaf) area of an invasive aquatic fern Salvinia molesta. The two algorithms are tested using a computer controlled automatic testbed. The mean accuracy for the GLE was found to be 89.66% for estimating the number of fronds and 86.74 % for estimating the frond area. For the MMCWT the respective results are 91.92% and 80.68%. Then the results are subsequently used for developing a mathematical model as growth rate estimation of Salvinia molesta for various concentrations of Sodium di-hydrogen phosphate.

Because of water shortage, water treatment and reuse have become crucial. In this study, on the campus of Kun Shan University, an ecological channel with a treatment capacity of 150 CMD and a hydraulic retention time of 46.6 hr was used for the purification of reclaimed water. Different aquatic plants were grown to purify the used water, including floating aquatic plants such as water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.), Salvinia (Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch.), and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms); submerged aquatic plants such as hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum L.); and emergent plants such as Hygrophila pogonocalyx Hayata and H. salicifolia (Vahl) Nees. In water quality monitoring programs, dissolved oxygen, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, total nitrogen, total phosphate, and turbidity were measured weekly. The system was in operation from March 2015 to April 2017, across a total of nine seasons. The results obtained in this study indicated significant improvement in water quality, and dissolved oxygen in water increased from 1.6 mg/L to 5.3 mg/L. After treatment, performance for chemical oxygen demand, suspended solid, turbidity, total nitrogen, and total phosphate removal was 44.0%, 81.2%, 80.1%, 41.6%, and 18.0%, respectively. The results also revealed that Salvinia made little contribution to nitrogen removal, whereas Da-Ann hygrophila, willowleaf hygrophila, and hornwort exhibited great potential for nitrogen removal. Additionally, hornwort demonstrated great potential for phosphorus removal. The purified water is currently used for environmental maintenance and for supplying the landscape pool; moreover, the water purification process reduces the consumption of tap water and improves the efficiency of water utilization.

Tasik Puteri is a recreational lake for few activities such as scuba diving, kayaking and swimming during the dry season. However, this lake was an iron ore mining site and the remaining contaminants and heavy metal of the lake can harm the people that directly get into contact with the lake water. The present study focused on investigating the phytoremediation potential of locally available floating aquatic plants in the treatment process of water from Tasik Puteri, which was contaminated with mining effluent. The effluent was treated with water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and water lettuces (Salvinia molesta and Pistia stratiotes) in a constructed wetland for a period of 28 days. The effluent treatment efficiency was estimated by measuring the effluent quality over the experimental period. Five water parameters such as the total iron (TI), total phosphorus (TP), chemical oxygen demand (COD), electrical conductivity (EC) and turbidity were examined using standard laboratory procedures, which include. The results indicated that the three plants were able to remove the contaminants. After 28 days, the physical observation shows that the water hyacinth was healthier than the water lettuces. Considerable decrements in concentration were recorded in TI, TP and EC, but fluctuation in COD and turbidity value were observed. Comparison results by the plants indicat that after 28 days, water hyacinth was the most effective plant in removing phosporus, COD and EC of the mining lake with 97.3%, 70.5% and 22.2% removal, respectively. Furthermore, water lettuce (P. stratiotes) was the most effective plant in removing Iron (96.0%) and the turbidity (50.0%) of the mining lake. S. molesta showed the lowest removal capability for all experimental parameters. In conclusion, water hyacinth and water lettuces had shown better capability in removing heavy metals and other contaminants with E. crassipes has the highest survivability in the lake water.

Phytoremediation is an emerging low cost green technology, which uses plants for treating contaminant in the environment. Phytoremediation potential of locally available aquatic plants Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce) and Salvinia molesta (water fern) in the treatment process of textile wastewater was investi-gated. The reduction efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total solids (TS), total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals (Cd, Ni and Zn) and total and fecal coliform from the waste-water by each plant species were estimated. Bioconcentration factors (BCF) and translocation factors (TF) of three plant species for Cd, Ni and Zn were also estimated in order to identify their heavy metal absorption and translocation capacity. The results of the study indicated that greater reduction of COD, nitrates, phosphates, total coliform and Zn from the ini-tial wastewater by the three plant species. The results of the study also suggested that the selected aquatic plants are hy-peraccumulators of Cd, Ni and Zn metals. The findings of this study suggest that E. crassipes, P. stratiotes and S. molesta are potential aquatic plants for treating textile waste water.

Giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) is one of the most noxious invasive species in the world. The fern is known to have primary, secondary, and tertiary growth forms, which are also commonly hypothesized as growth stages. The identification of these forms is primarily based on the size and folding status of the floating leaves. However, we identified 12 forms in the greenhouse and the field. Our experiments showed that the folding of floating leaves is a reversible trait dependent on water access. The floating leaves quickly fold in response to water shortage, reducing water loss and needs, decreasing growth, and avoiding trichome damage. The leaves re-open to allow trichomes repel water and enhance growth when having adequate water supply. Larger secondary or tertiary forms do not produce small-leaf primary forms without high intensity stress. These results do not support the hypothesis that three growth forms represent sequential growth stages. The abnormal small-leaf forms are the result of endocide-induced autotoxicity and some of them never grow into other forms. The development of abnormal forms and reversible leaf folding strategy in response to high stress along with rapid asexual reproduction are major adaptive traits contributing to the invasiveness of S. molesta.

Biological control of the aquatic fern, Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell, by Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in temperate regions has been less reliable relative to tropical and subtropical regions. High mortality of overwintering adults is presumed to be an important factor. At temperate sites, overwintering adult C. salviniae may experience multiple exposures to low temperatures that could compound to lethal levels. We examined the effects of repeated cold exposure (RCE) on the overwintering mortality and feeding rate of adult C. salviniae. Mortality rate of adults following exposure to 2, 4, and 6 cycles of RCE was 22, 70 and 82%, respectively. Mortality in the RCE treatment was similar to that in the matched-cold treatment for 2 and 6 cycles but was significantly less than in the matched-cold treatment for the 4 cycles. The relationship between the number of RCE and adult mortality rate was modeled and model results were compared to adult survival of caged weevils during four winters on two lakes in northeast Texas. Also, the feeding activity of adult weevils surviving RCE declined following exposure to 4 and 6 cycles of RCE. These results provide insight into how cold impacts overwintering survival of C. salviniae and should assist in anticipating the need for inoculative releases of C. salviniae the following spring to achieve consistent biological control of S. molesta at temperate locales.

The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of glyphosate, as Rodeo(r) formulation, to control Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Salvinia molesta, Salvinia herzogii and Urochloa subquadripara, under greenhouse conditions. The doses assessed were (480, 960, 1440, 1920, 2400, 2880, 3360 and 3840 g ha-1 of glyphosate) with 0.5% of the Aterbane(r) BR surfactant and a control, with no herbicide application. All experiments were conducted in a completely randomized experimental design with ten replications. Applications were carried out by precision backpack sprayer at a CO2 constant pressure of 25 psi and spray solution consumption of 200 L ha-1. Product effectiveness was determined by assessing the growth inhibitions and phytotoxicity signals during the periods of 3, 7, 15, 21, 30 and 45 days after application (DAA). At 45 DAA, the highest glyphosate dose (3840 g ha-1) displayed 100% effectiveness for all four macrophyte species. Under greenhouse conditions, the glyphosate in formulation Rodeo(r) with 0.5% of Aterbarne(r) BR surfactant showed excellent effectiveness, inhibiting the growth of the floating aquatic macrophytes. This procedure can be included on the tillage plans for these species. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a eficácia do herbicida glyphosate na formulação Rodeo(r) para controle da Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes, Salvinia molesta, Salvinia herzogii e Urochloa subquadripara, em condição de casa de vegetação. As doses avaliadas foram: 480, 960, 1440, 1920, 2400, 2880, 3360 e 3840 g ha-1 de glyphosate, com adição de 0,5% do surfatante Aterbane(r) BR e um controle sem aplicação do herbicida. Todos os experimentos foram instalados no delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com dez repetições. As aplicações foram efetuadas com pulverizador costal de precisão em pressão constante de CO2 de 25 p.s.i. e consumo de calda de 200 L ha-1. A eficácia do produto foi determinada avaliando-se inibições no crescimento e os sinais de fitotoxicidade durante os períodos de 3, 7, 15, 21, 30 e 45 dias após a aplicação (DAA). Aos 45 DAA, a maior dose do glyphosate (3840 g ha-1) apresentou 100% de eficácia para as quatro macrófitas. Em condições de casa de vegetação, o glyphosate na formulação Rodeo(r) acrescido de 0,5% de surfatante Aterbarne(r) BR apresentou excelente eficácia, com inibição do crescimento de macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes, e pode ser incluído em um plano de manejo dessas plantas.

Several ecological services and functions are attributed to macrophytes, which may represent valuable resource for the ecological intensification of tropical fish farming. However, considering the multiple potential eco-services provided by macrophytes, the choice of the most appropriate species requires multiple criteria to assess these eco-services. Five floating macrophytes (Eichhornia crassipes, Lemna minor, Azolla filiculoides, Salvinia molesta and Salvinia spp.) were selected for this study. The six eco-services parameters compared among these macrophytes were: productivity (in % of seeded macrophytes), risk of non-productive cycles, nutritional value, impact on water quality, palatability (expressed as the percentage of plant ingested in 4 h) and ease of use. Experiments to determine these indicators were carried out in simple devices (net cages and plastic tanks) partially immerged in earthen ponds. The palatability of fresh macrophytes (whole or chopped) was studied in ponds using Osphronemus goramy juveniles. All indicators were scored from 1 to 5, and the highest score was assigned to the highest performer. These scores corresponded either to the evaluation of a single parameter (e.g. productivity) or to the average from scores of several parameters (e.g. nutritional score). Multiplier coefficients were applied for nutritional value and palatability. Azolla filiculoides showed the best scores for productivity; L. minor for nutritional value and palatability, and E. crassipes for the lowest risk of non-productive cycles and a positive impact on water quality. After integrating the scores in a multi-parameter matrix, A. filiculoides had the best overall score. The results of this approach to select macrophytes are discussed in light of the eco-services provided by macrophytes which may, in turn, promote the ecological intensification of tropical small-scale aquaculture.

The aquatic fern salvinia can retain an air layer on its hairy leaf surface when submerged under water, which is an inspiration for biomimetic applications like drag reduction. In this research, an electrostatic flocking technique is used to produce a hairy surface to mimic the air-trapping performance of the salvinia leaf. Viscose and nylon flocks with different sizes were selected. A volumetric method was established to analyze the air-retaining performance of the flocking samples, Salvinia molesta and lotus leaves as well. Through air volume change analyses, it is found that another factor that can affect the Salvinia molesta air-retaining ability is the curving of the leaf under water. A flocking sample fabricated by a kind of nylon flock is demonstrated to have a comparable air-retaining ability under static conditions as a Salvinia molesta leaf in its flat form.

Macrophytes have been used to mitigate eutrophication and upgrade effluent quality via their nutrient removal capability. However, the available data are influenced by factors such as microbial activities, weather, and wastewater quality, making comparison between nutrient removal performance of different macrophytes almost impossible. In this study, phytoremediation by Spirodela polyrhiza, Salvinia molesta and Lemna sp. were carried out axenically in synthetic wastewater under controlled condition to precisely evaluate nutrient removal efficiency of NO

In many plant species, tolerance to toxic metals is highly dependent on glutathione, an essential metabolite for cellular detoxifi cation. We evaluated the responses of glutathione metabolism to arsenite (As III ) in Salvinia molesta , an aquatic fern that has unexplored phytoremediation potential. Plants were exposed to diff erent As III concentrations in nutrient solution for 24 h. As III caused cell membrane damage to submerged leaves, indicating oxidative stress. Th ere was an increase in the glutathione content and ϒ-glutamylcysteine synthetase enzyme activity in the submerged and fl oating leaves. Th e glutathione peroxidase and glutathione sulfotransferase enzymes also showed increased activity in both plant parts, whereas glutathione reductase only showed increased activity in the submerged leaves. Th ese fi ndings suggest an important role for glutathione in the protection of S. molesta against the toxic eff ects of As III , with more eff ective tolerance responses in the fl oating leaves.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior Salvinia é um gênero de samambaias aquáticas flutuantes pertencente à família Salviniaceae, Ordem Salviniales, a qual compreende as samambaias heterosporadas. O gênero é subcosmopolita e apresenta cerca de 12 espécies. Uma destas espécies, S. molesta, é originária do Brasil e se transformou numa exótica invasora muito agressiva em vários países. Neste trabalho realizou-se o estudo taxonômico das espécies de Salvinia para as regiões sul e sudeste do Brasil. Para tanto, foram consultadas as coleções dos herbários BHCB, BHZB, CAY, CESJ, CVRD, DIAM, ESAL, FLOR, FUEL, FURB, HAS, HB, HBR, HUFU, HURG, ICN, MBM, MBML, OUPR, PACA, R, RB, SJRP, SP, SPF, SPFR, UEC, UPCB, VIC, análises de imagens online dos tipos, e estudo das espécies em campo. No sul e sudeste do Brasil nove táxons ocorrem, dos quais dois são novos à ciência: S. auriculata var. major, var. nov., S. biloba, S. cucullata, S. ×delasotae, hybr. nov., S. herzogii, S. oblongifolia, S. minima, S. molesta e S. radula. Salvinia cucullata e S. ×delasotae são táxons cultivados, não ocorrendo naturalmente na área de estudo. Com base na análise de plantas da Guiana Francesa, concluiu-se que S. auriculata s. str. (= S. auriculata var. auriculata) não ocorre no sul e sudeste do Brasil. São apresentados cabeçalhos taxonômicos atualizados, descrições, ilustrações, chave e mapas de distribuição geográfica para todos os táxons. Salvinia is a genus belonging to the family Salviniaceae, Order Salviniales, which comprises the aquatic ferns. The genus is widely distributed throughout the globe and has about 12 species. One of these, S. molesta, originated in Brazil and has become a very aggressive exotic invader in several countries. In this work I present the taxonomic study of Salvinia species from southern and southeastern regions of Brazil. I analyzed materials from herbaria BHCB, BHZB, CAY, CESJ, CVRD, DIAM, ESAL, FLOR, FUEL, FURB, HAS, HB, HBR, HUFU, HURG, ICN, MBM, MBML, OUPR, PACA, R, RB, SJRP, SP, SPF, SPFR, UEC, UPCB, VIC, plus online images of types, and field studies. In southern and southeastern Brazil, nine taxa of Salvinia occur, of which two are new to science: S. auriculata var. major, var. nov., S. biloba, S. cucullata, S. ×delasotae, hybr. nov., S. herzogii, S. oblongifolia, S. minima, S. molesta, and S. radula. Salvinia cucullata and S. ×delasotae are cultivated taxa, not occurring naturally. Based on studies of plants from French Guiana, I concluded that S. auriculata s. str. (= S. auriculata var. auriculata) does not occur in southern and southeastern Brazil. I present updated nomenclatural headings, descriptions, illustrations, key, and maps of distribution of all taxa.

Background : Aquatic ecosystems in South Africa are prone to invasion by several invasive alien aquatic weeds, most notably, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms-Laub. (Pontederiaceae) (water hyacinth); Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae) (water lettuce); Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitch. (Salviniaceae) (salvinia); Myriophyllum aquaticum (Vell. Conc.) Verd. (parrot’s feather); and Azolla filiculoides Lam. (Azollaceae) (red water fern). Objective : We review the biological control programme on waterweeds in South Africa. Results : Our review shows significant reductions in the extent of invasions, and a return on biodiversity and socio-economic benefits through the use of this method. These studies provide justification for the control of widespread and emerging freshwater invasive alien aquatic weeds in South Africa. Conclusions : The long-term management of alien aquatic vegetation relies on the correct implementation of biological control for those species already in the country and the prevention of other species entering South Africa.

(Protein efficiency of broiler chickens fed with diets containing kayambang leaves meal)ABSTRACT The aim of the experiment was to determine the utilization of kayambang (Salvinia molesta) leaves meal until 18% based on its effects on protein consumption, protein intake, meat protein mass and protein efficiency ratio. One hundred broiler CP 707 day-old unsexed chicks, with an average body weight 502,48± 6,99 g age 15 until 42 days. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments and 5 replications and each replication consisted of 5 chickens.. The treatments diets were T0 (basal diet), T1 (6% Salvinia molesta leaves meal), T2 (12% Salvinia molesta leaves meal), and T3 (18% Salvinia molesta leaves meal). The results showed that administration of Salvinia molesta leaf meal up to 18% level in the diet resulted in a decrease in the quality of the ration so that the protein utilization also decreased as indicated by the decline in the value of protein intake, protein intake, protein mass of meat and protein efficiency ratio.

Success of Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder & Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) for biological control of Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell in temperate regions has been less reliable than in tropical and subtropical regions and this difference is presumed to be due to greater winter mortality. We measured the cold tolerance of C. salviniae by comparing chill coma recovery time and survival of adults after exposure to freezing conditions among four geographic populations collected from Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Australia. Effects of winter temperature acclimation on low temperature oviposition also were determined. The Australian population was more cold tolerant than the three US populations. No oviposition by C. salviniae was observed at a water temperature of 17 °C and the oviposition rate at 19 °C was less than at 21, 23 and 25 °C. We suggest that introduction of cold tolerant strains of C. salviniae could increase its effectiveness in temperate regions of the US.

Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell (Salviniales: Salviniaceae), a small floating fern introduced from South America, is causing an increasing number of problems in the US. Increased reliance on the biocontrol agent, Cyrtobagous salviniae, in the US is becoming more commonplace and several mass-rearing facilities have been developed. Because of differences in sampling protocols including sample size, reporting parameters, and numbers released, an investigation into sampling efficiency was initiated. A small pond in southern Louisiana was sampled in an effort to understand what constitutes an adequate sample size and methodologies needed to estimate numbers of weevils. A clumped distribution in the pond was identified, which required a large number of samples to be taken to minimize differences in means and variation. When randomly selecting 10 sets of samples where n = 5 for Sep, means varied from a high of 280 weevils/m2 to a low of only 50 weevils /m2, a difference of nearly 6-fold. However, when r...

The objective of this study was to investigate if the catabolic capabilities (the overall ability to utilize a wide range of carbon sources) and catabolic profiles (the overall pattern of carbon source usage based on the carbon source types and relative usage extent) of microbial communities in free-floating plant treatment wetlands differ based on the presence or combination of different plant species. Free Floating-plant treatment wetland mesocosms were established using four different plant species: Limnobium laevigatum (L), Salvinia molesta (S), Eichhornia crassipes (E), and Pistia stratiotes (P). Mesocosms were either arranged as a monoculture (one plant species), biculture (two different plant species; all possible pairings), or quadricultures (one of each plant species). Mesocosms were fed twice weekly with 20 L of reconstituted wastewater using diluted fish farm sludge effluent. The microbial communities in each mesocosm were assessed after a 4 month operational period using the community level physiological profiling (CLPP) method. It was observed that monoculture wetland systems had different catabolic activities and catabolic richness’ (number of carbon sources utilized) with the following respective trends: (L) > (P) = (S) > (E) and (L) > (E) = (P) > (S). It was also found that the carbon source utilization patterns of the microbial communities from the monoculture mesocosms were distinctly different from each other, and that the polyculture communities were different from the respective monoculture counterparts. These findings further support the hypothesis that plant type and combination plays a critical role in the development of the microbial communities present in treatment wetlands. It was also found that increasing the number of plant species did not, on average, promote the development of microbial communities with a more active and diverse catabolic capability, but rather specific plant selection and plant/plant interactions were important. In comparison to the other plant species E. crassipes had the largest amount of root mass available for microbial community attachment. Observations suggested that this larger root mass translated into E. crassipes having a dominating effect on defining the carbon source utilization patterns of microbial communities from polyculture mesocosms. Although microbial communities from the monoculture mesocosms containing E. crassipes had the lowest activities (on a per unit volume basis), E. crassipes mesocosms generally had the best COD removal rates in either monoculture or polyculture systems, potentially because of the greater amount of root mass available.

The weevil Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder & Sands 1985 (Family: Curculionidae) is a highly effective biocontrol agent for the invasive water fern Salvinia molesta D.S. Mitchell (Family: Salviniaceae). The life histories of both organisms are affected by temperature, making the potential impacts of climate change on efficacy of control an important area in which comprehensive understanding is required. Here we use warming tolerance (WT) and low temperature tolerance (LTT) as measures of C. salviniae’s sensitivity to climate warming, calculated across South Africa using critical thermal limits, lethal temperature limits and mean maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) environmental temperatures under present climatic conditions and two future periods (2040s and 2080s). From the present climate to the 2080s the WTs of C. salviniae decrease and LTTs increase indicating C. salviniae may face greater constraints on survival as Tmax nears the upper thermal limits, but increased population persistence over cool months as Tmin increases.

The sampling was carried out in two sampling sites; Chenderoh Reservoir, Malaysia and Jatiluhur Reservoir, Indonesia. These reservoirs are the initial of cascade reservoirs on Perak River and Citarum River. The aquatic plants distribution and abundance were recorded, and water quality parameters were measured. A total of 23 aquatic plant species from 14 families were identified. The populations of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) were recorded in all sampling points of both reservoirs. Based on the TSI (Chl a), Chenderoh Reservoir was subjected to a mesotrophic, whereas, Jatiluhur Reservoir was subjected to an eutrophic reservoir. E. crassipes and S. molesta which were abundant in those reservoirs were listed in the 100 world worst invasive alien species.

The salvinia weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae (Calder & Sands) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) (Figure 1), is a subaquatic (underwater) herbivorous insect native to Brazil (Calder and Sands 1985). This insect feeds on the invasive aquatic plants Salvinia molesta D. S. Mitchell and Salvinia minima (Baker). This insect is an effective classical biological control agent used in several countries to control the invasive giant salvinia, Salvinia molesta (D. S. Mitch). Feeding by Cyrtobagous salviniae larvae and adults kills its invasive host plants and restores recreational, agricultural, and ecosystem functions in aquatic systems. In the United states, the insect has been credited for controlling Salvinia minima in Florida (Jacono et al. 2001) and causing the decline of Salvinia molesta in Texas and Louisiana (Tipping et al. 2008).

In this paper, the surface morphology and wetting properties towards deionized water and pure oil samples with varying carbon chain lengths of adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces of Pistia stratiotes L., Salvinia molesta D.Mitch., Ananas comosus (L.) Merr. and Dyckia platyphylla L.B. Smith were characterized. The surface morphological characterization showed that P. stratiotes L. has uniseriate trichomes on adaxial (ad) and abaxial (ab) surface and S. molesta D.Mitch. has multifaceted egg-beater shaped trichomesad and achlorophyllous filamentsab. Both surfaces of the bromeliads, A. comosus (L.) Merr. and D. platyphylla L.B. Smith have peltate scutiform trichomes. Overall, P. stratiotes L. has the greatest trichome density (no.of trichomes/mm2) of ad 36.77 and ab40.10 among A. comosus (L.) Merr. > D. platyphylla L.B. Smith> S. molesta D.Mitch. Contact angle measurement showed that P. stratiotes L. has the best water repellency having (154. 39 ± 3.26)ad > S. molesta D.Mitch. > A. comosus (L.) Merr. > D. platyphylla L.B. Smith and (147.90 ±3.17)ab > A. comosus (L.) Merr. > D. platyphylla L.B. Smith > S. molesta D.Mitch. Lastly, P. stratiotes L. showed the best common pure oil adsorption capacity among the four species. Therefore, the understanding on the fundamental concept on how the leaf surface of P. stratiotes L. adsorbs the oil and reacts in response to various solvents adsorbed on the leaf surface was established.

Composites were prepared using Salvinia molesta biochar as a carbonaceous anchor for TiO2, employing two synthesis routes: sol-gel and mechanical mixing. TTiP and TiOSO4 were tested as TiO2 precursors. The composites were characterized using IR spectra, X-ray diffractograms, band gap energies, g Factor of EPR, surface areas, pore sizes and volumes, and scanning electron micrographs of the surfaces. For both synthesis routes, the composites prepared from TTiP showed higher crystallinity, lower band gap, and larger pore size. Due to these characteristics, the samples produced using this precursor presented the best performance in terms of both adsorption (46.5% at 60 min) and photocatalytic efficiency (57.6% at 180 min) under UV irradiation (F15 bulb, GE, 15 W, wavelength range ˜380 – 480 nm). The results showed that the impregnation method had a smaller influence on the photocatalytic efficiency of the composites, compared to the effect of the type of TiO2 precursor. However, impregnation by mechanical mixing produced composites that presented higher performance, compared to use of the sol-gel method. This sample presented similar ability to degrade the AO7 in up to six recycles. The OH and O2 − radicals generated by composite were the main responsible for photodegradation of AO7 and quinone-like structures present in salvinia’s biochar, being the major electron acceptors responsible for decreasing the electron/hole recombination.

The effect of sulfuric acid pretreatment on biogas yield from Salvinia molesta (SM) was studied. The sulfuric acid concentration was varied to be 2, 4, 6% v/v. Pretreatment was carried out under batch system at room temperature and pressure of 1 atm for two days. Then, the digestion was carried out for 30 days under batch system at room temperature and pressure of 1 atm. The pretreatment decreased the lignin content and increased the nitrogen free extract content (non-fiber carbohydrate). The more the sulfuric acid concentration, the more the change of these contents. Furthermore, cumulative biogas yield from pretreated SM using sulfuric acid 2–6% (22.72–24.14 mL/g VS) was higher than that from raw SM (13.28 mL/g VS). For digestion during 30 days, the best pretreatment was 4% because it produced the highest total biogas yield (24.14 mL/g VS) and had very short lag time (0 day). The measured data was simulated using the modified Gompertz and first order kinetic model. The calculation showed that the modified Gompertz model (error 6.141–12.431%) was better than the first order kinetic model (error 7.336–47.606%).

Aquatic macrophytes’ decomposition is a source of recalcitrant carbon in the long term contributing to humic substances (HS) formation. Understanding the influence of plant detritus quality and oxygen availability over molecular changes of these compounds provides ecological information related to their cycling. This study described the molecular variation of dissolved HS from Eichhornia azurea, Egeria najas, Oxycaryum cubense and Salvinia molesta decomposition under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The aquatic HS formed from the four aquatic macrophytes showed similar features (e.g. molecular weight and aromaticity). This fact indicates little influence of the detritus quality or availability of oxygen on the fulvic acids (FA) and humic acid characteristics. Under aerobic condition a decrease in the polysaccharides content in FA occurred. HS from E. najas were related to less-recalcitrant features, while HS from S. molesta were related to recalcitrant.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has targeted Salvinia molesta (salvinia), Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), Sorghum halepense (Johnson grass) and Moraea flaccida (cape tulip) for eradication under the national interest pest response (NIPR) programme. These weeds are both notiiable and unwanted organisms under the Biosecurity Act 1993. The NIPR eradication programme consists of educational campaigns; enforcement of the Biosecurity Act, which prohibits propagation, planting, sowing, sale and distribution of the weeds; removal and destruction of the weeds from known infested sites; and monitoring those sites for regrowth. Assessment over the past two decades shows that Johnson grass and cape tulip have responded well to management. As at 2013, the number of active Johnson grass sites has reduced by 100% and cape tulip by 74%. The number of active sites for water hyacinth and salvinia, however, keeps rising and falling, thus prolonging eradication.

Endosulfan is a persistent, toxic broad-spectrum organochlorine insecticide and acaricide used on food and non-food crops. To overcome the problem of hydrophobicity of endosulfan, surfactants play a major role in soil remediation. A concentration of 1 g/L tween 80 released 83.89% ± 1.22% of endosulfan from the soil in 24 hours and a total of only 13.96% ± 0.14% was found remaining in the soil. Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that promises effective and inexpensive cleanup of contaminated hazardous waste sites. The potential of aquatic plant species Salvinia molesta and the terrestrial plant species, Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), to remove persistent organochlorine pesticide endosulfan from contaminated water and soil respectively were investigated. Remediation of endosulfan in water using different aquatic plants showed that Salvinia molesta is more efficient in endosulfan removal as the percentage removal of endosulfan obtained was 97.94% ± 0.33% in 21 days (with an initial concentration of 123 μg/L endosulfan). Among the selected terrestrial plant species, Spinach and Tomato, percentage removal of endosulfan was found to be higher with tomato. On Day 21, complete removal of pesticide (with an initial concentration of 140 μg/Kg endosulfan) occurred in the soil in which phytoremediation was done with tomato while spinach took about 28 days for complete removal of endosulfan. Microbial degradation offers an effective approach to remove toxicants from the environment. Microbial degradation of endosulfan was studied and Pseudomonas species was able to completely degrade endosulfan in 16 days. The technologies developed can be utilized for the complete removal of endosulfan from a contaminated area. The surfactant enhanced recovery and phytoremediation will help to decontaminate the polluted water and soil. The recovered endosulfan in the surfactants and plants can be subjected to biodegradation by bacterial species using a bio reactor.

Mercury is one of important contaminants in mine lands. One approach to remediate risks from this metal pollutant is phytoextraction using hyperaccumulator plants. These remarkable plant species accumulate appreciable high concentrations of metals than do normal plants when the normal plants suffer yield reduction from metal phytotoxicity. Some plant species growing in gold mine contaminated areas indicated high tolerance and potentially effective in accumulating mercury in their roots and above ground portions. Salvinia molesta is one of them. This plant could be utilized as hyperaccumulator for cleaning up mercury contaminated sites. This research aim to study phytoextraction of mercury by Salvinia molesta and the effectiveness of mercury degradator bacteria on plant tolerance and mercury phytoextraction. In this study Salvinia molesta was grown in mercury contaminated liquid gold mine waste, added with Mercury (II) Chloride (HgCl2) 0 ppm Hg, 10 ppm Hg, 30 ppm Hg and 50 ppm Hg. Mercury degradator bacteria was applied in the media. The results showed that Salvinia molesta was able to survive even in media with high level of mercury concentration (50 ppm), although the number of plant survival tend to decrease with the increase of mercury concentration. Variables of surface coverage and live plants decreased with the increase of mercury concentration in the media. There was a close correlation between plant growth variables and mercury concentration in the media. The effects of mercury toxicity on plants seems to decrease in bacteria treated plants. It was indicated by the higher percentage of surface coverage and plant survival in bacteria treated plants than that of untreated plants up to 30 ppm Hg. Recovery from toxicity was shown in bacteria treated plants up to 30 ppm Hg. Mercury accumulation in plants tent to increase with the increase of mercury concentration in media. It can be concluded that plant performance was better and mercury concentration decreased in bacteria treated plants.

The complex structure of the Salvinia molesta is investigated via rare event molecular dynamics simulations. Results show that a hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterning together with a re-entrant geometry control the free energy barriers for bubble nucleation and for the Cassie-Wenzel transition. This natural paradigm is translated into simple macroscopic design criteria for engineering robust superhydrophobicity in submerged applications. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

This study was aimed to determined fat content and saturated fatty acid profile (SFA), unsaturated fattyacid profil (PUFA and MUFA) broiler chicken meat feeding with kayambang leaf flour (Salvinia molesta). Thisresearch used 100 broiler chickens at 15 days old unsex with average weight 500 ± 6,99 g. This research usedCompletely Randomized Design. Ration treatments arranged for starter and finisher periods. Ration treatmentswere T0 (ration without Salvinia molesta leaf meal); T1 (ration with Salvinia molesta leaf meal 6%); T2 (rationwith Salvinia molesta leaf meal 12%); and T3 (ration with Salvinia molesta leaf meal 18%). The fat contentdata obtained were analyzed using Analysis of Variance at significance level of 5%. The fatty acid profile datawere analyzed using descriptive quantitative analysis. The results showed that Salvinia molesta leaf mealtreatment in broiler diet didn’t affect significantly (P amount of saturated fatty acids decreased from T0 to T3 of the amount of saturated fatty acids 53.21% to24.57% and the amount of unsaturated fatty acids increased from 39.94% to 68.79% from T0 to T3. Based onthe results of the present study it was concluded that Salvinia molesta leaf meal can to reduce the content ofsaturated fatty acid and increasing the content of unsaturated fatty acid.Keywords: broiler chicken, Salvinia molesta, saturated fatty acid, unsaturated fatty acid

In this study, a new method for the preconcentration of cadmium ions using modified aquatic macrophytes – Salvinia molesta as biosorbent in an on-line preconcentration system coupled to flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) was developed. The method is based on preconcentration of 20.0 mL sample at pH 3.75 through 35.0 mg of biosorbent at 10.0 mL min−1 and subsequent elution with 0.5 mol L−1 HNO3. A preconcentration factor of 31-fold, linear dynamic range from 5.0 to 70.0 µg L−1 (r = 0.9996) and detection and quantification limits of 0.15 and 0.51 µg L−1 were obtained. The characterization of the biosorbent chemically modified with NaOH and citric acid, was performed through FTIR and SEM measurements. The method precision was found to be 3.97 % and 1.48 % for 5.0 and 60.0 µg L−1 Cd(II) solutions, respectively. The applicability of method was checked by analysis of different kind of water samples and certified reference material.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the recently registered aquatic herbicide, topramezone, and the experimental herbicide, benzobicyclon, for activity against the invasive floating fern giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta Mitchell).

Salvinia molesta, an aquatic fern was observed to have a potential of degrading azo dye Rubine GFL up to 97% at a concentration of 100mg/L within 72h using 60±2g of root biomass. Both root as well as stem tissues showed induction in activities of the enzymes such as lignin peroxidase, veratryl alcohol oxidase, laccase, tyrosinase, catalase, DCIP reductase and superoxide dismutase during decolorization of Rubine GFL. FTIR, GC-MS, HPLC and UV-visible spectrophotometric analysis confirmed phytotransformation of the model dye into smaller molecules. Analysis of metabolites revealed breakdown of an azo bond of Rubine GFL by the action of lignin peroxidase and laccase and formation of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline and N-methylbenzene-1, 4-diamine. Anatomical tracing of dye in the stem of S. molesta confirmed the presence of dye in tissues and subsequent removal after 48h of treatment. The concentration of chlorophyll pigments like chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotenoid was observed during the treatment. Toxicity analysis on seeds of Triticum aestivum and Phaseolus mungo revealed the decreased toxicity of dye metabolites. In situ treatment of a real textile effluent was further monitored in a constructed lagoon of the dimensions of 7m×5m×2m (total surface area 35m(2)) using S. molesta for 192h. This large scale treatment was found to significantly reduce the values of COD, BOD5 and ADMI by 76%, 82% and 81% considering initial values 1185, 1440mg/L and 950 units, respectively.

Cyrtobagous salviniae Calder and Sands (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is a successful biological control agent of aquatic weeds suppressing species like giant salvinia, Salvinia molesta D.Mitch. (Salviniales: Salviniaceae), in at least 15 countries over 3 continents (Julien et al. 2002). There are at least 2 ecotypes of this insect; the smaller Florida ecotype found on common salvinia, S. minima Baker, throughout Florida, and the larger Brazil ecotype, which has been used extensively against S. molesta (Jacono 2001). Despite initial questions about the identity of the Florida ecotype (Goolsby et al. 2000), molecular work has confirmed that the 2 ecotypes represent a single species (Madeira et al. 2006). Although S. minima causes significant problems in Louisiana, it rarely forms persistent mats in Florida (Tipping et al. 2012). This regional difference may be caused by herbivory by the Florida weevil ecotype, which was first reported in Florida in 1962 (Kissinger 1966). The goal of this study was to compare population variables of S. minima between freshwater swamp forest habitats located in different states where one (Louisiana) lacks C. salviniae. Generalist herbivores like Synclita oblteralis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Samea multiplicalis Guenee (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) are present on S. minima in both states (Munroe 1972; Knopf and Habeck 1976). Environmental, plant, and insect variables were compared between 4 field sites in Florida and 5 in Louisiana during 11 dates between 2002 through 2004. Florida sites were located near Immokalee, West Palm Beach, and LaBelle while Louisiana sites were located within the Barataria preserve south of New Orleans. In Florida

This paper examines the notion that the fish stocks in Lake Kariba may now be suffering from the effects of climate change as air temperatures there have increased by about 2 °C since 1960. The ecosystem of Lake Kariba has changed dramatically since it was created in 1958, and the nutrients released by the collapse of the floating water-fern Salvinia molesta evidently brought about an increase in fisheries productivity that lasted for only a few years. This could account for some of the decreased catches attributed to climate change, although the data from the inshore fishery may be unreliable in any case. There is little evidence that climate change has affected the inshore fish stocks. On the other hand, research data from a fished area in Zambia and a closed area in Zimbabwe clearly reveal the impact of fishing. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) in gill nets decreased steadily in Zambia but the CPUE increased in Zimbabwe until it was around 2.5 times greater than in Zambia. The fishery for the introduce...