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Welcome to the Open Repository of research and development results of the Mendel University in Brno. The repository serves to archive Open Access publications of university authors. Publications are automatically sent from the OBD system to the repository in the DSpace system.

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Recent Submissions

Access status: Open Access ,
Nutrient recovery from African catfish sludge via aerobic mineralization and assessment of its fertilization potential in hydroponic basil cultivation
(Elsevier Science BV, 2026) Harabiš, Lukáš; Patloková, Kateřina; Mareš, Jan; Pokluda, Robert
The increasing demand for sustainable fertilizer sources highlights the potential of aquaculture by-products as alternatives to conventional mineral solutions in hydroponics. This study evaluated the fertilization potential of a liquid solution produced by aerobic digestion of fish sludge from a recirculating aquaculture system with African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) for indoor cultivation of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in a deep water culture system. Three nutrient solutions were compared: a conventional mineral solution (HYDRO), fish excrement mineralizate obtained by aerobic digestion (FEM), and a 1:1 (v/v) mixture of both (MIX). Cultivation with FEM alone resulted in a 17.5 % reduction in fresh shoot biomass and an overall reduction in N and P content in plant biomass compared to the hydroponic control, likely due to deficient potassium and iron levels in the FEM solution. However, plants grown in the FEM solution exhibited high potassium use efficiency and lower nitrate accumulation in plant tissues. The MIX variant achieved fresh shoot biomass comparable to the mineral control, enhanced root growth (+40.3 %), and reduced nitrate accumulation (MINUS SIGN 9.4 %) while maintaining vitamin C content and total antioxidant capacity. Fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of Bacillus spp. and Azospirillum spp. in the FEM and MIX solutions, suggesting a potential biostimulant effect that needs further investigation. These findings indicate that FEM cannot serve as a full replacement for mineral nutrient solutions; however, appropriate supplementation with mineral fertilizers can achieve growth performance comparable to or exceeding that in mineral solutions, offering a sustainable and balanced cultivation strategy.
Access status: Embargo ,
Impact of winemaking technologies on polyphenolic composition and wine microbiome
(Frontiers Media SA, 2026) Kostelníková, Karolína; Frejlichová, Lucie; Špetík, Milan; Sochor, Jiří; Eichmeier, Aleš; Baroň, Mojmír
Introduction This study investigates how different oenological practices, including spontaneous and inoculated alcoholic fermentation (AF), variations in malolactic fermentation (MLF) and ageing, are associated with changes in microbial diversity and polyphenolic profile of Sauvignon blanc wines.Methods Microbial composition was investigated through high-throughput DNA sequencing, while polyphenolic compounds were analysed using LC-MS together with total phenolic content through Folin-Ciocalteu assay and antiradical activity by DPPH assay.Results and discussion AF was associated with a pronounced homogenization of the microbiota, particularly through the dominance of Saccharomyces and stable epiphytic bacteria. At later stages, microbial communities showed notable compositional divergence, with their development closely linked to technological interventions and the extent of phenolic extraction. The pomace-fermented treatment exhibited the highest polyphenol content along with the greatest compositional heterogeneity, whereas treatments with lower phenolic loads exhibited simpler microbial profiles and the stable dominance of Leuconostoc after malolactic fermentation. Polyphenols appear to act as modulatory factor in microbial succession, with extraction intensity showing a more distinct association with community shifts than the fermentation regime itself. Overall, the study highlights that technological practices affecting phenolic extraction appear to play a notable role in the observed microbial trends and the resulting wine characteristics.
Access status: Open Access ,
Forest temperature buffering in pure and mixed stands: A high-resolution temporal analysis with generalized additive models
(Elsevier Science BV, 2025) Steinparzer, Matthias; Gillerot, Loïc; Rewald, Boris; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence; Haluza, Daniela; Guo, Qiwen; Vospernik, Sonja
Forests foster buffered microclimates, but causal mechanisms have rarely been studied on longer timescales and in differently diverse stands. Here, we explore temperature regulation by a young experimental forest in Austria, focusing on four common colline broadleaf species (Acer platanoides L., Tilia cordata Mill., Quercus robur L., Carpinus betulus L.) in monocultures, two- and four-species mixed stands. Air temperature was monitored in 28 forest plots for two years and compared to open-field controls. Using generalized additive models (GAMs), we investigated direct temperature offsets and lags between open-field and sub-canopy temperatures, considering diurnal and seasonal changes, and causal factors such as global mean radiation, relative air humidity, wind, and leaf area index (LAI). Forests generally had a cooling effect during the summer and a warming effect in winter, where the cooling magnitude varied with species composition and environmental conditions. Specifically, Acer platanoides and Carpinus betulus demonstrated the highest cooling capacities, and Quercus robur the lowest. Mixed species stands exhibited higher temperature buffering effects relative to monospecific stands, suggesting that species diversity in forests can increase the ability to regulate microclimates. Solar radiation, relative air hu midity, wind speed, and LAI all significantly influenced offsets. These findings are crucial for urban forestry and environmental planning, suggesting that careful selection of tree species can optimize temperature regulation, thereby improving human thermal comfort and ecosystem processes alike.
Access status: Open Access ,
Tree species diversity drives above-ground carbon sequestration through light-related trait shifts
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2026) Jensen, Joel; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence; Rewald, Boris; Weih, Martin
Functional traits can vary in response to tree species mixing, which in turn might influence biomass production and, consequently, carbon (C) sequestration in diverse forests. However, evidence for consistent broad-scale patterns in tree trait responses, particularly regarding trait identity and their contribution to above-ground biomass outcomes, remains limited. Using data from even-aged forest stands in 11 tree diversity experiments in Europe and Brazil, encompassing 40 tree species, we estimated the influence of species mixing on above-ground biomass components (woody, litterfall and understory biomass), as well as effects of mixing on plasticity-driven changes in species- and community-level functional traits. At the community level, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf area index (LAI) were higher in mixtures than expected values based on monocultures, while leaf nitrogen per area decreased, and leaf nitrogen per mass remained stable. SLA increases were primarily due to the response of less dominant tree species. Woody and litterfall biomass increased in mixtures, whereas understory biomass remained unchanged. At the species level, diversity-driven plastic changes were observed in multiple traits, but only SLA showed a consistent shift across species. Tree diversity effects on above-ground biomass were influenced by both functional diversity and diversity-driven trait shifts, where increased SLA and LAI enhanced woody biomass accumulation, while higher LAI in diverse stands reduced understory biomass. Together, these results show that tree species mixing alters canopy structure and light-related traits, with shifts in SLA and LAI constituting key pathways through which mixed forests accumulate more woody biomass.
Access status: Open Access ,
Growth of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi on Inorganic and Organic Nitrogen Sources
(MDPI AG (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute-MDPI), 2026) Otgonsuren, Burenjargal; Lan, Hangyu; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence
In forest soils, nitrogen (N) is present in inorganic and organic forms. The organic forms include monomeric amino acids, but also polymers such as chitin. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are known to take up both inorganic and organic N forms, and to depolymerize large organic compounds; however, it is unknown if the compounds are used for growth. The aim of this investigation was to determine the growth of a range of ectomycorrhizal fungi on inorganic and organic N sources. Seven ectomycorrhizal fungi and one endophyte originating from mountain regions either in Austria, Mongolia, or Slovenia were grown in in-vitro cultures containing ammonium, nitrate, or chitin. Four ectomycorrhizal fungi were used to investigate growth on amino acids. All fungi, except Paxillus involutus, utilized nitrate as a N source. All fungi also grew on both chitin and N-acetylglucosamine, the amino sugar precursor of chitin. Paxillus involutus and Melanogaster broomeanus showed enhanced growth on chitin-containing media. Amanita muscaria, Rhizopogon roseolus, and Suillus granulatus, but not Paxillus involutus, were able to utilize the amino acids glycine and glutamate, as well as the tripeptide triglycine. The ability to utilize the different N sources was independent of the origin of the fungi.