Soil properties and crop performance on a kaolinitic Alfisol after 15 years of fallow and continuous cultivation

A long-term field experiment was established on a kaolinitic Alfisol in Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1972. The land was cleared manually from secondary forest and used for (i) continuous no-till cropping with maize (Zea mays L.) and maize/cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) intercropping, (ii) planted fallow of guinea grass (Panicum maximum Jacq.), leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala de Wit), and pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan Millsp.), and (iii) natural bush regrowth in a randomized complete block design with three replications. At the end of 15 years, the fallow plots were cleared manually and cropped with maize for three years. The chemical and physical soil properties and crop performance of the newly-cleared plots were compared with those under 15 years of continuous cultivation. A total of 26 woody species were identified on the bush regrowth plots. Above-ground biomass accumulation of the bush plots was 157 Mg ha^-1 containing 1316 kg N ha^-1. Guinea grass, leucaena and natural bush regrowth plots had comparable organic C concentrations (approximately 20 g kg^-1) in the surface soil (0 to 10 cm) after 15 years. The organic C concentration in the surface soil under pigeon pea was the lowest (9.5 g kg^-1) among the four fallow treatments. Soil under 15 years of continuous no-till maize with and without residue mulch, respectively, contained approximately half (10 g kg^-1) and a quarter (5.7 g kg^-1) of the organic C under natural bush or guinea grass fallow. The levels of exchangeable Ca, K, Mg and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) were lower in the soils under continuous cultivation than in those under natural bush and planted fallow. Soil acidification occurred in soils under continuous cropping as depicted by the lower pH values and greater exchangeable Al and Mn concentrations compared to the fallow plots. Grain yield of maize (3 to 5 Mg ha^-1) without fertilizer application in the plots newly cleared from natural bush, guinea grass and leucaena fallow was comparable with that of continuous no-till maize with residue mulch and chemical fertilizer (N, P, K, Mg, Zn) applications. Among the four fallow treatments, maize grain and stover yields were the lowest in plots cleared from pigeon pea fallow.     

The fate of nitrogen under maize and pasture cultivated on an alfisol in the western Llanos savannas,Venezuela

A field experiment was designed to follow the fate of fertilizer nitrogen in an annual crop (maize) and a permanent meadow (Digitaria decumbens) cultivated on an alfisol under the tropical two-season-climate of the Venezuelan Llanos.¹⁵N labelled urea equivalent to 150 kg N.ha^–1 was added to field plots and to lysimeters of undisturbed soil.Results obtained after the first year show that the accumulation of fertilizer nitrogen was twice as great in the aboveground parts of maize and accompanying weeds (29% of the added nitrogen) than in the aerial parts of grass (16%), while the reverse trend was shown by roots: about 2% of the added nitrogen was detected in corn roots and more than 4% in the underground biomass of the meadow. Leaching losses were less than 2% under maize and almost nil under pasture in spite of intensive leaching which occured during the rainy season.The top-soil (0–40 cm) of the grassland retained about 50% of the fertilizer nitrogen while only about 25% remained in the top-soil of the maize plot. The loss of fertilizer could be explained, largely, either by volatilisation immediately after application, or denitrification during the following weeks. The relative proportions of fertilizer-N and soil-N in maize and grass suggest that, during this period, gross mineralization of soil-N in both agroecosystems attained a value almost equivalent to the total nitrogen added in the fertilizer. The implications of these results when converting natural savannas into cultivated regimes are very different in the case of permanent pasture, which can improve the organic status of these poor soils and annual crops, like maize, which induce an unavoidable deficit in the nitrogen balance.     

铜锈环棱螺对藻华水体理化指标的影响

采用池塘围隔对比试验的方法,研究了不同密度(392 ind·m^-2、196 ind·m^-2、98 ind·m^-2、0 ind·m^-2)铜锈环棱螺(Bellamyaaeruginosa)对藻华水体主要理化因子的影响.实验从2009年9月14日开始,持续60d.结果显示:环棱螺可以明显提高藻华水体的透明度(SD),实验中、后期,三个处理组围隔水体的SD均能保持在60cm以上,而对照组SD改变不明显,波动于29～40.3cm之间;多数时间内处理组水体的溶解氧(DO)含量都显著低于对照组,说明环棱螺的存在可直接或间接降低水体DO浓度.试验表明,单一投放螺类可有效降低藻华水体的叶绿素a(Chl-a)含量,但难以削减营养盐浓度.实验条件下,围隔水体总氮和正磷酸盐浓度的下降趋势均与螺的密度呈现负相关性(R=-0.9851,p<0.05;R=-0.9678,p<0.05);对SD、DO、pH、Chl-a、NH₄⁺-N、NO₃^--N、PO₄^3--P等7个主要理化指标数据进行了Duncan多重比较分析以及聚类分析,结果显示对照组和处理组在p<0.05水平上均存在显著差异,说明环棱螺的投放能在一定程度上调控水体质量.     

The physical and chemical properties of eumelanin

In this article, we review the current state of knowledge concerning the physical and chemical properties of the eumelanin pigment. We examine properties related to its photoprotective functionality, and draw the crucial link between fundamental molecular structure and observable macroscopic behaviour. Where necessary, we also briefly review certain aspects of the pheomelanin literature to draw relevant comparison. A full understanding of melanin function, and indeed its role in retarding or promoting the disease state, can only be obtained through a full mapping of key structure-property relationships in the main pigment types. We are engaged in such an endeavor for the case of eumelanin.     

城市污水灌溉对植物栽培基质理化性质的影响

采用污水浇灌的方式,对尾叶桉、马占相思、小叶榕、阴香和美人蕉5种植物在塑料大棚内进行盆栽试验,研究了城市污水浇灌对植物栽培基质理化性质的影响.研究结果表明:随着浇灌污水浓度增加,植物栽培基质的容重降低,孔隙度增大,pH值有所降低,有机质含量有一定增加:全N含量降低,除阴香外,其余4种植物栽培基质的速效K、速效P含量增加.表明污水灌溉植物,增强了栽培基质的肥力,且栽培基质的全N、速效K、速效P含量有较大变化.     

烟草连作障碍与土壤理化性质及微生物多样性特征的关联

【背景】烟草是我国最重要的经济作物之一,其忌连作的特点严重影响了我国烟草产业的发展。【目的】通过研究烟草连作障碍、土壤理化性质和微生物多样性特征的关系,为解决烟草连作障碍问题、制定有效的烟草生产技术提供理论基础。【方法】选择连作障碍严重烟田和克服连作障碍烟田作为研究对象,基于高通量测序技术,探究烟田连作障碍情况、烟田理化性质与土壤微生物多样性的联系。【结果】克服连作障碍的烟田土壤pH、总氮和有机质含量显著高于连作障碍严重的烟田土壤,克服连作障碍烟田和连作障碍严重烟田土壤微生物多样性之间不存在显著差异,但土壤微生物优势群落发生了显著改变,烟田土壤的pH、有机质、有效磷、总氮都与微生物群落显著相关。【结论】烟田克服连作障碍的差异,可能与烟田土壤的理化性质以及微生物组成的差异有关,此研究为解决湘西烟区连作障碍问题提供理论基础和技术支持。     

The effect of physical conditions of cultivation on the respiratory metabolism of algae

V práci jsem zji?tovala, zda podmínky kultívace ?as ovlivńují ?espira?ní metabolismus. Rasy Chlorella pyrenoidosa (82), Scenedesmus obliquus (125) a Euglena gracilis (259) byly pěstovány ve t?epané a stojaté kultu?e. T?epáním kultur je podstatně ovlivněn respira?ní metabolismus ?as. T?épané kultury mají na rozdíl od stojatých sní?enou spot?ebu O₂ a vět?inou odli?né RQ. Je mo?né, ?e zji?těné rozdíly jsou podmíněny zrychleným vývojem a stárnutím t?epaných kultur. Je tedy t?epání jako zp?sob kultivace významným faktorem, který je nutno respektovat p?i pěstování experimentálního materiálu. Namě?ené hodnoty respira?ního kvocientu okolo 1,3 svěd?í pro to, ?e anaerobní glykolytické pochody mohou probíhat i za dokonalého p?ístupu vzduchu do media. Kultura Scenedesmus obliquus (125) má pravděpodobně málo p?izp?sobivý metabolismus a na změny prost?edí nereaguje tak citlivě jako Euglena gracilis nebo Chlorella pyrenoidosa.     

The effect of physical and chemical treatment on the mechanical properties of the cell wall of the alga Chara corallina

Single large internode cells of the charophyte (giant alga) Chara corallina were dissected to give sheets of cell wall, which were then notched and their mechanical properties in tension determined. The cells were subjected to a thermal treatment in excess water (cf. cooking), which had little effect on strength but increased the stiffness, contrasting with the behaviour of higher-plant tissues. Extraction in CDTA (cyclohexane-trans-1,2-diamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate) or 4 M KOH reduced the strength from 17 MPa to 10 MPa, although sequential extraction in CDTA and 4 M KOH reduced the strength further to 4 MPa. The stiffness decreased from 500 MPa to 300 MPa on extraction in CDTA or 4 M KOH, while falling to 70 MPa after extraction in CDTA followed by 4 M KOH. Conventional sequential extraction in CDTA, Na2CO3 at 1 degrees C and 20 degrees C, and KOH at 0.5 M, 1 M, 2 M and 4 M caused a gradual decrease in stiffness and strength after the CDTA treatment to the same lower values. This result is in keeping with mechanical properties for plant tissues, but in contrast to the removal of pectic polysaccharides from model cell wall systems, which does not reduce the stiffness.     

连续免耕对不同质地稻田土壤理化性质的影响

以我国南方地区典型的单季水稻生产大田为研究对象,按土壤质地分为壤质和粘质两个系列,探讨不同质地稻田土壤理化性质变化对连续免耕的响应规律。结果表明,在无秸秆覆盖条件下,随着免耕年限的增加,壤质和粘质稻田土壤的耕层均有紧实度提高的趋势,特别是粘质土壤,导致耕层变浅。与常年翻耕土壤相比,免耕6a后壤质水稻土0—20 cm土层的紧实度值平均增加了32%,而粘质的平均增加了90%。在相同免耕年限条件下粘质稻田土壤容重的增加也比壤质土壤的明显。壤质土壤0—10 cm土层有机质和碱解氮含量随免耕年限延长而提高,而在粘质土壤则显著降低。无论是壤质还是粘质土壤,连续免耕多年后土壤速效磷均在耕层(0—20 cm)富集,而速效钾则相反。总体而言,壤质水稻土对免耕的适宜性要优于粘质土壤;应根据土壤质地的不同选择性地实施免耕技术,并结合秸秆覆盖,以实现免耕稻田土壤的可持续利用。     

Influence of pastoral fallow on plant root growth and soil physical and chemical characteristics in a hill pasture

Pastoral fallowing over a growing season (October–May) has a profound effect on standing biomass and sward structure, and should have an impact on below ground plant growth and soil biological activities. Two field studies were conducted to compare the effects of pastoral fallow with rotational grazing on root growth and soil physical and chemical properties. Root growth and distribution was altered by pastoral fallowing and there was significantly (P < 0.01) less root biomass at 0–50 mm depth of soil in the fallowed sward than the grazed sward. Compared with the grazed treatment, pastoral fallow increased soil air permeability at 500 mm tension by 38%, saturated hydraulic conductivity by 26%, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at 20 mm tension by 67% and soil moisture by 10–15%, and reduced soil bulk density by 11%. Fallowing had little effect on soil nutrients both at the end of fallowing, except for small reductions in K and Mineral N levels at 0–75 mm soil depth, and two to three years after fallowing.     

枯草杆菌弹性酶的理化性质研究

对用DEAE纤维素—Sephader G—75层析所得到的4万u/g的纯酶进行分子量、等电点、最适作用条件、稳定性及水解性质等进行试验。     

The effect of continuous physical disturbance on mayflies of a tropical stream: an experimental approach

Field experiments to examine the effect of continuous physical disturbance on the Ephemeroptera of the Naro Moru River, Kenya, wereundertaken from June 1993 to January 1994. Continuous disturbance wasadministered on a randomly selected subsite of the sediment surface.Artificial physical disturbance within the experimental subsite involvedcontinuous local displacement, shifting and stirring of the streambedsurface substrates (about 10 cm depth) by hand every one minute for 10 or 14min. Three control samples were also taken randomly from the sedimentsurface of an undisturbed stratified area of the study riffle at the startof each disturbance occasion. All samples were collected using a Hesssampler (surface sampling area of 3.142 dm²; meshsize 80μm). Seven mayfly species were particularly abundant and these included Afronurus sp., Afroptilum sudafricanum LESTAGE, Baetis s.l., Baetis(Nigrobaetis) sp. 1, Baetis (Nigrobaetis) sp. 2, Caenis sp. and Choroterpes(Euthraulus) sp. About 83,8% of the total mayfly density and88.1% of the biomass were removed from the streambed surface withinthe first three minutes of continuous physical disturbance. A mayfly biomassof 33.7391 mg dm² and total density of 1357.6 inddm² were collected from the disturbed subsite during the studyduration. Further, a biomass of about 42.8335 mg dm⁻²and total density of 2366 ind dm⁻² were collected fromthe control sites. There was a near-complete depletion of mayflyindividuals from the topmost sediment layer within 14 min of continuousdisturbance. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Long-term effect of mineral fertilizers and amendments on microbial dynamics in an alfisol of Western Himalayas

The microbial dynamics expressed in terms of culturable microbial populations i.e. bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes and Azotobacter were measured after 33 years of continuous application of mineral fertilizers and amendments to an acid alfisol. The bacterial, fungal and Azotobacter populations were maximum in plots treated with mineral fertilizers and FYM (100%NPK+FYM) while actinomycetes population was maximum in mineral fertilizes and lime treated plots (100%NPK+Lime). The bacterial population decreased and fungal population increased with increasing levels of NPK i.e. from 50% to 150%NPK. Bacillus species of bacteria and Gliocladium, Aspergillus and Rhizopus species of fungi were the main dominating culturable microorganisms in all the treatments. The FYM and lime amended plots sustained crop productivity and microbial populations at higher levels than rest of the mineral fertilizer treatments. The nitrogenous fertilizers alone had the most deleterious effect on crop productivity and the biological soil environment.