Some aspects of the cation status of soil moisture

Summary The effect of potassium ions on a River Estate soil-water system was investigated by equilibrating the soil with 0.0001 to 0.02M KCl solutions. Soil solutions were obtained from soil samples prepared over a wide range of solution/soil ratios, both within and outside the field range. The soil-soil solution equilibrium remained undisturbed over the field range of solution/soil ratios, 0.25 to 1.0, for the 0.0001M 0.0002M, and 0.0005M KCl systems. Values of pK–1/2p(Ca+Mg) for these systems tended to decrease at ratios greater than 1.0 and with increasing strength of the KCl-equilibrating solutions. This is suggested to be due to the increasing potassium release from the soil with increasing solution/soil ratio for the 0.0001M KCl system and the increasing amounts of potassium present in the 0.0002M, 0.0005M, and 0.02M KCl systems.Both release and uptake of potassium were shown to be functions of the potassium concentration of the equilibrium soil solution. A value K₀, was defined as the concentration of potassium in the soil solution when potassium was neither released nor taken up by the soil. It is suggested that if this value is known, measurement of the soil solution potassiujm concentration under any particular conditions would indicate whether potassium was being released or taken up by the soil.It was deduced that the exchange complex of this soil had to be 62 per cent saturated with potassium before fixation occurred.     

Some observations on the structure, cation content and possible evolutionary status of dinoflagellate chromosomes

SICEE, D. C., 1984. Some observations on the structure, cation content and possible evolutionary status of dinoflagellate chromosomes. Dinoflagellate chromosomes have a well-ordered structure, as observed in living cells, glutaraldehyde/osmium tetroxide-fixed cells, ultrathin cryosections and freeze-etch preparations. It is suggested that the stabilization of this chromatin in the living cell is largely mediated by divalent cations, acting as bridging molecules between the DNA superstructure and the protein matrix. Studies using X-ray micro-analysis and autoradiography have shown that these chromosomes have high levels of bound Ca and transition metals, and that these are associated with both the DNA and surrounding proteins.
The organization and stabilization of chromatin in dinoflagellate chromosomes is quite different from that of the cells of other eukaryotes, but shows some resemblance to the dispersed chromatin of bacteria. The evolution of dinoflagellate chromosomes from a prokaryote-like ancestral genome is attributed to two main factors–the retention of a primitive cationic non-histone stabilization system, and a pronounced evolutionary trend towards high DNA values. On this theory, dinoflagellate chromosomes are phylogenetically distinct from all other eukaryote chromosomes, and provide a separate evolutionary route for the attainment of high DNA levels and increased cell size.     

Some aspects of microbiological stimulation in a soil treated with streptomycin

Summary An investigation was made to follow the effect of streptomycin on the soil microflora using a direct method of observation together with plate counting technique on some selective media.It was reported that the bactericidal effect of streptomycin in the first week of application to soil, has masked an early stimulatory effect manifested by stimulation of two bacterial species appearing on mannitol nitrogen-free agar plates. One of these bacterial species identified as Pseudomonas sp. was able to fix small but significant amounts of nitrogen. The direct observation technique enabled to observe some aspects of microbial stimulation in soil. Stimulation of large cocci, identified as Hansenula sp., long bacterial rods, and Fusarium solani were successfully observed by such technique. Enrichment technique helped in isolating Hansenula sp. and F. solani; F. solani formed a mat on the surface of treated soil 50 days after streptomycin application. The recorded aspects of stimulation were claimed to be due to microbial equilibrium disturbance as a result of applying streptomycin to soil. Suggestion for further investigations was offered to verify the possible significance of such aspects of stimulation in controlling soil-borne pathogens.     

Effect of soil moisture on bioremediation of chlorophenol-contaminated soil

A chlorophenol-contaminated soil was tested for the biodegradability in a semi-pilot scale microcosm using indigenous microorganisms. More than 90% of 4-chlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, initially at 30 mg kg^–1, were removed within 60 days and 30 mg pentachlorophenol kg^–1 was completely degraded within 140 days. The chlorophenols were degraded more effectively under aerobic condition than under anaerobic condition. Soil moisture had a significant effect with the slowest degradation rate of chlorophenols at 25% in the range of 10–40% moisture content. At 25–40%, the rate of chlorophenol degradation was directly related to the soil moisture content, whereas at 10–25%, it was inversely related. Limited oxygen availability through soil agglomeration at 25% moisture content might decrease the degradation rate of chlorophenols.     

Controlling the soil moisture environment of transpiring plants

Summary A method of growing plants under constant soil moisture conditions when the transpiration rate is constant is presented. This method uses the principles of unsaturated flow through a porous media to arrive at values for the design variables. If the transpiration rate is not constant, the maximum possible fluctuation in the soil moisture content can be determined.     

Soil moisture influence on micronutrient cation availability under aerobic conditions

Summary The three major soil series comprising the Gezira scheme (Sudan) are Hosh, Suleimi, and Laota. Surface soil samples from each soil series were employed to study the effect of soil moisture on the DTPA-extractable micronutrient cation under aerobic conditions. The study continued for 8 weeks using an incubation technique at two levels of soil moisture (continuously moist and moist/dry cycles). The DTPA-extractable Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn from air-dry soil samples were much higher compared to values from their incubated counterparts. For the three soils the CO₂ production (microbial activity) reached the maximum in 5 weeks and then levelled off while the lowest values of micronutrient cation from the incubated soils were obtained between 2 to 8 weeks.Generally, the study suggests that the hot dry months preceding crop growth should increase clay surface acidity and hence availability of mironutrient cations.Contribution from the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University, College Station. TX 77843, U.S.A.     

Effect of moisture and oxidation status of alkaline rice soils on the adsorption of soil phosphorus by an anion resin

Summary Considerable effort was devoted to experimentally explaining the greater amount of anion resin-adsorbable P (ARAP) in water-saturated alkaline soils relative to moist soils with the purpose of explaining the phenomenon of increased P availability in flooded rice soils. ARAP increased when waterlogged conditions were imposed on soils, but the increase in ARAP occurred before reducing conditions were obtained. Reducing conditions did not increase ARAP. The increase in ARAP in the water-saturated alkaline soils was attributed to the enhanced P diffusion resulting from a decrease in tortuosity, thus indicating that increased P availability upon flooding could be due to increased P diffusion.Paper number 4533 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.Paper number 4533 of the Journal Series of the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Effect of soil microstructure on the relationship between the intensity of nitrification and soil moisture

The relationship between the logarithm of nitrification intensity and moisture (expressed as pF) did not have an ideal linear course in structural soils in which pores of a certain size predominated. When increasing the incubation moisture it could be observed that the intensity of nitrification decreases at pF 3.5-4.4 and increases again on further increasing the incubation moisture. The detected anomaly was observed when applying moistures corresponding to peaks of derivation pF-curves. It can be assumed that the relationship between the intensity of nitrification and moisture is modified by soil microstructure; therefore, this relationship was studied in more detail in the present communication.     

Influence of soil moisture on the performance of granular systemic insecticides applied to soil

Control of aphids by the four systemic insecticides, dimethoate, disulfoton, menazon and phorate, applied as granules below seed potatoes at planting, was investigated under different soil moisture conditions. Results confirmed previous conclusions that dimethoate and menazon are more effective in wet than in dry soils, whereas disulfoton and phorate are equally effective in both. However, even with dimethoate and menazon effects of moisture were small and were probably the result of several different interacting factors.     

Some aspects of the plant radioresistance

Mutant strains of unicellular green algae--Chlorella and Chlamydomonas which differ in their radioresistance have been investigated at different levels: cellular, molecular, biochemical and ultrastructural. It is obtained that several futures are typical for investigated strains. There are several features typical for radioresistant mutant strains investigated by us: in some cases a relationship was found between radioresistance and ssb-DNA repair efficiency; a high level of SH-groups; SOD; pigments content, especially carotenoids and chlorophyll a; a lower level of Pro content; a stability of the ultrastructural cell components or/and of the presence and structure of the cell envelope.     

Chemical forms of plant and soil iron as influenced by soil moisture

Summary Experiments were conducted to determine whether soil moisture content has an effect on the chemical forms of plant and soil iron. Soybean plants, variety Lee, were grown on Adelanto loam soil under greenhouse conditions. Two different moisture levels, 75 per cent and 120 per cent of the moisture equivalent, were maintained in soil samples placed in individual containers. The same moisture treatments were used for separate soil samples on which the test plants were grown.Soil iron forms were determined in the moisture-treated soil by using different extracting agents. A significant decrease in soil iron extracted with 10^–4 M EDTA from soil at the high moisture level was attributed to a relative increase in the free calcium ion.Soybean plants grown under the high moisture level were chlorotic while those under the low moisture level were green in appearance. Plant samples were taken at two stages of growth for subsequent analysis.The chemical analysis of the leaf tissues have shown the presence of equal amounts of total iron and less amounts of water-soluble and active iron in chlorotic tissues as compared to non-chlorotic tissues. The difference found between chlorotic and non-chlorotic plants in the amount of iron in the water extract was in the trichloroacetic acid-soluble fraction. The water- and salt-soluble protein nitrogen was approximately the same in chlorotic and non-chlorotic leaves.     

Effect of snow removal on leaf water potential,soil moisture,leaf and soil nutrient status and leaf peroxidase activity of sugar maple

Effect of removal of snow cover in winter was investigated in an 80-year-old sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) stand in southern Quebec. We hypothesized that winter soil frost would induce some of the decline symptoms observed in sugar maple stands in southern Quebec in the early 1980's. Snow was continuously removed from around trees for a one week (partial removal) or for a four-month period (complete removal) during the 1990–1991 winter. Foliage and soils were sampled periodically during the summer of 1991. The complete snow removal treated trees showed decreased leaf water potential and increased peroxidase activity over most of the growing season. Foliar Ca was reduced in both snow removal treatments early in the growing season while foliar N was reduced in the complete snow removal trees late in the growing season. Soil NO ₃ ^– and K⁺ were elevated in both snow removal treatments at various times throughout the growing season. Prolonged soil frost in a sugar maple stand can induce lower leaf water potential, higher leaf peroxidase activity and early leaf senescence during the following growing season. Soil frost may have reduced nutrient uptake without affecting significantly the leaf nutrient status.