Reuse potential of agricultural wastes in semi-arid regions: Egypt as a case study

Agricultural wastes represent an important source of bio-energy and valuable products. In Egypt, 18% of the agricultural wastes is used directly as fertiliser. Another 30% is used as animal food. The remainder is burnt directly on the fields or is used for heating in the small villages, using low efficiency burners. These wastes can be used more efficiently as a source of energy and as organic fertiliser. The anaerobic bioconversion of these materials will result in a net energy production. The utilisation of agricultural wastes for the production of energy and compost, combined with using solar energy will save fossil fuel, improve health conditions and the general life quality in the villages. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of barley straw (Hordeum vulgare) on freshwater and brackish phytoplankton and cyanobacteria

A short-term laboratory study was conductedto investigate the effect of barley strawin controlling several common phytoplanktonand cyanobacterial species. Following aone-month incubation of barley straw incoarsely filtered fresh Potomac River andbrackish Patuxent River waters, the growthof six autotrophic taxa was followed inculture. Barley straw slurry reduced theyield of three taxa (Ankistrodesmusfalcatus, Chlorella capsulata, Isochrysis sp.) in comparison withcultures not receiving the slurry. Although no significant changes in growthwere detected with three other taxa (Cyclotella sp., Prorocentrumminimum, freshwater Pseudanabaenasp.), some patterns indicated potentialimpacts of the barley straw. First, ahigher addition of straw to Cyclotella sp. resulted in a lower biomassaccumulation than in cultures receivinglower levels. Second, the bloom-formingdinoflagellate Prorcentrum minimumwas apparently stimulated at low barleystraw levels, perhaps suggesting conditionsassociated with the straw(metals-chelation, bacterial-producednutrients) might stimulate dinoflagellategrowth. Third, species shifts wereobserved in two of the cultures, withbarley straw favoring shifts from Isochrysis to a Cyclotella sp. –Thalassiosira sp. mixture and shiftsfrom Pseudanabaena to a Pseudanabaena – Scenedesmus mixture. These results provide new records for thesusceptibility of freshwater and brackishphytoplankton taxa to barley strawexposure, including species-specificresponses and shifts in species dominancein mixed assemblages.     

稻草—凤尾菇—蚯蚓—肉鸡食物链的氮流与能流研究

稻草养菇、菇渣喂蚓、以蚂喂鸡是通过营养关系将三个生产过程有机地连接起来,形成农业生态系统特有的食物链。关于这三个环节各自的经济效益及栽培技术方面的研究工作已经做了很多,而作为一条食物链的整体状况,主要是能流和物流状况。尚未见到更深入具体的报道。作者试图通过实验定量分析和评价该食物链中每一链节上以及整体上的氮流和能流状况,进而对其生产应用价值做一初步探讨。     

Screening of white‐rot fungi for bioprocessing of wheat straw into ruminant feed

Aim

In this study, the biological variation for improvement of the nutritive value of wheat straw by 12 Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, 10 Pleurotus eryngii and 10 Lentinula edodes strains was assessed. Screening of the best performing strains within each species was made based on the in vitro degradability of fungal‐treated wheat straw.

Methods and Results

Wheat straw was inoculated with each strain for 7 weeks of solid state fermentation. Weekly samples were evaluated for in vitro gas production (IVGP) in buffered rumen fluid for 72 h. Out of the 32 fungal strains studied, 17 strains showed a significantly higher (P < 0·05) IVGP compared to the control after 7 weeks (227·7 ml g^?1 OM). The three best Ceriporiopsis subvermispora strains showed a mean IVGP of 297·0 ml g^?1 OM, while the three best P. eryngii and L. edodes strains showed a mean IVGP of 257·8 and 291·5 ml g^?1 OM, respectively.

Conclusion

Ceriporiopsis subvermispora strains show an overall high potential to improve the ruminal degradability of wheat straw, followed by L. edodes and P. eryngii strains.

Significance and Impact of the Study

Large variation exists within and among different fungal species in the valorization of wheat straw, which offers opportunities to improve the fungal genotype by breeding.     

汉中盆地秸秆还田撂荒和林地对土壤碳的影响

农业活动是温室气体重要的排放源,土壤碳库[土壤有机碳(SOC)和无机碳(SIC)]稍微变化会对大气CO_2产生很大影响。汉中盆地是南水北调的重要水源涵养地,在该区域秸秆还田、农田撂荒和林地是目前常见土地利用方式,但缺乏不同利用方式对SIC和SOC影响的研究。该研究采集该区域典型样地土壤,用滴定法和有机碳分析仪分别测定其SIC和SOC含量,研究3种土地利用方式对土壤碳库的影响。结果表明:SOC随土层深度最为敏感的是农田,其次是撂荒地,林地最不敏感。0~140 cm土层SOC碳密度,林地最大,是撂荒田的2.26倍,农田是撂荒田的1.37倍。深土层SOC碳密度,林地是撂荒田的2.44倍,农田是撂荒田的1.07倍。撂荒田的SIC密度最大,其次是农田,林地的SIC碳密度最低。在0~140 cm土层中,SIC密度依次为12.37、11.68和9.77 kg·m~2,撂荒田的SIC碳密度是林地的1.27倍。随着我国农村发展,土地利用管理出现新的方式,今后在估算土地利用管理方式对土壤碳影响时还需要综合考虑SOC和SIC。     

秸秆和地膜覆盖对渭北旱作玉米农田土壤氮组分与产量的影响

基于田间定位试验,研究了秸秆和地膜覆盖措施对旱作春玉米田土壤氮组分和作物产量的影响。试验包括无覆盖对照,秸秆覆盖和地膜覆盖3个处理,观测指标包括土壤全氮(STN)、颗粒有机氮(PON)、潜在可矿化氮(PNM)、微生物量氮(MBN)、硝态氮(NO_3~--N)、铵态氮(NH_4~+-N)含量及作物产量。结果表明:试验进行5到7年后,与对照相比,秸秆覆盖处理0—10 cm土层STN、PON、PNM、MBN和NO_3~--N含量3年平均分别提高了13.11%、64.29%、17.51%、16.94%和55.37%,10—20 cm土层STN、PON、MBN和NO_3~--N含量3年平均分别提高了5.93%、33.33%、15.78%和27.57%(P0.05)。而地膜覆盖处理0—10 cm和10—20 cm土层NO_3~--N的含量较对照分别提高了189.14%和135.75%(P0.05),其他氮组分与对照处理差异不显著。秸秆和地膜覆盖处理玉米产量较对照处理3年平均分别提高了6.90%和36.74%(P0.05)。玉米产量与0—20 cm土层NO_3~--N含量和NO_3~--N/STN值呈显著正相关关系。总的来看,秸秆覆盖能显著增加旱地土壤全氮和活性有机氮含量,促进氮素固定,但需注意作物生长后期补充氮肥以满足作物生长需要。而地膜覆盖能显著提高土壤氮素有效性和作物产量,但不利于土壤有机氮的固定,且表层土壤存在潜在氮淋失风险。     

不同秸秆填埋量对盐碱土水盐运移及垂柳反射光谱的影响

在宁夏西北盐化生态脆弱区的典型盐碱化土地,通过随机区组试验,探究在栽植穴填埋秸秆2000(T_1)、7000(T_2)、12000kg/hm~2(T_3)及17000 kg/hm~2(T_4)等作隔盐层对土壤水盐运移及垂柳(Salix babylonica)反射光谱的影响,将地下土壤水盐变化与地上植物生长及生理状况相结合,以期更准确的反映出各处理对盐碱土壤改良效果及地上植被恢复情况。研究结果表明:(1)填埋一定量的秸秆作隔盐垫层可以改变地下土壤水盐的剖面分布特征。T_2、T_3和T_4处理与对照组相比,20—80 cm土层土壤含水量都显著提高,填埋的秸秆层起到了蓄水保墒的作用;都明显降低了0—80 cm土层土壤盐分含量和盐溶质浓度;但这3种处理之间无显著差别。T_1由于填埋秸秆量过少,无显著蓄水控盐效果。(2)通过检测植物叶片反射光谱可以反映出地上植物生长及生理状况的变化。填埋一定量的秸秆作为隔盐垫层有助于改善垂柳的生理状况。T_2的垂柳叶片光合色素含量最高,光合特性及营养状况最好,其他光谱参数结果都显著提高。T_3显著提高叶绿素含量和光合特性,但效果均不如T_2,且营养状况差。T_4处理类胡萝卜素含量与叶片水分含量均处于最高水平,但叶绿素含量、营养状态以及光合特性都显著降低。T_1处理效果最差。(3)在地下填埋秸秆作隔盐层,会通过对地下土壤水盐运移及微域生态系统环境的调节,影响到地上植物生长及生理状况。综合地下水盐分布与地上植物叶片反射光谱的结果,T_2是宁夏引黄灌区盐碱地改良中最适宜的秸秆填埋量。     

长白山白桦林不同演替阶段土壤有机碳组分的变化

为了解长白山天然针阔混交林群落恢复演替土壤碳储量的变化,采用空间代替时间的方法,选取白桦幼龄林、白桦中龄林、白桦成熟林、阔叶红松成熟林和阔叶红松过熟林5个不同演替序列,研究其土壤总有机碳(SOC)、易氧化有机碳(ROC)、微生物生物量碳(MBC)及颗粒有机碳(POC)含量。结果表明:随着白桦林从早期到晚期的演替,SOC、MBC、ROC、POC以及土壤全氮、全磷和碳氮比(C/N)均呈现先逐渐增加后保持稳定的规律。随着土层深度的增加,SOC、MBC、ROC和POC含量均显著降低(P0.05),5个演替序列内ROC/SOC和POC/SOC的变化范围分别为12.91%~47.95%和14.21%~69.46%。相关分析表明:MBC、ROC和POC含量与土壤总有机碳(SOC)含量呈极显著正相关(P0.01),SOC、MBC、ROC和POC含量与全氮、全磷及碳氮比呈极显著正相关(P0.01)。研究结果为了解白桦林在演替过程中土壤有机碳的稳定性变化和固碳潜力提供数据支持。