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A new method has been described for carbaryl determination using a simple electrochemical sensor. The unique properties of poly‐pPhenylenediamine and ionic liquid were exploited to fabricate carbon paste electrode modified with composite based on conducting polymer/ionic liquid. Electrode surface characterization was performed by electrochemical methods (cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) and by scanning electron microscopy. Differential pulse voltammetry was employed for the detection of carbaryl in acetate buffer solution. Different parameters affecting the carbaryl response were optimized such as ionic liquid amounts, cycle number of polymerization and monomer concentration, pH, and accumulation time. Under the optimum experimental conditions, a linear response was obtained between 0.5 and 200 μmol/L, with detection limit of 0.09 μmol/L. The developed sensor offered satisfactory results for carbaryl detection in spring water and fruit samples.

The effect of withholding water on the specific activities of pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK EC 2.7.9.1.) and phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase (PEPC, EC 4.1.1.31) was studied in two cultivars of Sorghum bicolor L. different in their sensitivity to water deficit. The drought sensitive cultivar ICSV 1063 and the more resistant cultivar MIGSOR were subjected to water deficit in controlled conditions. The results showed a decrease in both enzyme specific activities, higher for drought sensitive cultivar ICSV 1063, when leaf water potential (Ψ) was lowered to ‐2.3 MPa. Following rewatering, enzyme specific activities increased in both cultivars, with the increase being more significant in MIGSOR. Relative water content (RWC) decreased significantly for water‐stressed ICSV 1063 cultivar, lower for MIGSOR and returned quickly to that of control plants upon rehydration. Net photosynthesis showed a decrease for water‐stressed plants, higher for ICSV 1063. At minimal Ψ, net photosynthesis was completely inhibited, with the stomata being closed After rehydration, MIGSOR showed a better recovery in photosynthesis but never reached the initial values of day 0. Water stress had a striking effect, both on net photosynthesis by regulation of stomatal aperture and on PPDK and PEPC activities, although the enzymes were still active when photosynthesis ceased. Therefore the level of PPDK and PEPC activities may contribute to the limitation of photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation.

An electrochemical method was developed for voltammetric determination of p-phenylenediamine using a carbon paste electrode (CPE