Distribution of DDT residues (DDT,DDD, and DDE) in California soils

DDT residues (DDT, DDD, and DDE, or DDT_R) occur in detectable concentrations in soils from southern California over 20 years after a ban (1973) on the widespread use of the pesticide in the U.S. A comparison of DDT residues found in soils from western Riverside/San Bernardino Counties to a much larger statewide database of Mischke et al. (1985) suggests that a systematic regional variation in relative abundances of DDT_R exists in California soils. It is suggested that factors such as physical/chemical properties of DDT residues, local/regional soil‐forming processes, soil management practices, and climatological regimes may help to explain the observed relative abundances of DDT‐related species in California soils. Knowledge of regional trends in the concentrations and composition of soil DDT_R may be useful in formulating more rational risk‐based soil management strategies where soil DDT_R concentrations are at or above regulatory levels.     

Contribution of plant photosynthates to dissolved organic carbon in a flooded rice soil

Dissolved organic C (DOC) plays important roles in nutrient cycling and methane production in flooded rice ecosystem. The microcosm experiment was carried out to measure directly the contribution of photosynthates to DOC by using a ¹³C pulse-chase labeling technique. DOC was operationally divided into water-extractable organic C (WEOC) and salt-extractable organic C (SEOC) by successive extraction firstly with deionized water and then with 0.25?M K₂SO₄. Total WEOC increased with plant growth, whereas SEOC concentration did not change significantly over the growing season. About 0.037–0.36% (mean 0.16%) of the assimilated ¹³C was incorporated into WEOC immediately after ¹³CO₂ assimilation (Day 0), but only 0–0.025% (mean 0.01%) was incorporated into SEOC. At the end of the growing season, the ¹³C amounts of WEOC substantially decreased, while those of SEOC slightly increased. The estimated net plant C contribution was 21?mg?C?plant^?1 to WEOC and 6?mg?C?plant^?1 to SEOC, corresponding to 33.8% of total WEOC and 20.2% of total SEOC at the end of the growing season, respectively. The results suggest that the incorporation and decomposition of the photosynthesized C occurred rapidly in rice soil which significantly affected the WEOC dynamics, but SEOC appeared to be in equilibrium with the native soil organic matter, receiving less effect from the plant growth.     

Resilience of soil seed banks to site degradation in intermittently flooded riverine woodlands

Questions: (1) What is the recovery potential of soil seed banks of intact, average and degraded floodplain woodlands? (2) Will soil seed banks of different functional groups (native and exotic, dryland and wetland) display contrasting responses to site degradation? Location: Semi‐arid, seasonally flooded woodland of eastern Australia. Methods: Diversity, abundance and composition of soil seed banks were assessed using a glasshouse study. Surface soil samples were taken from a total of nine sites with three levels of degradation (intact, average, degraded) from three microsites (sub‐canopy, canopy edge, open). Results: A total of 26 662 individuals of 82 species germinated. Seed abundance increased tenfold from intact to degraded sites, but there was no effect on richness. Species composition of all functional groups varied significantly among degradation states. Seeds of native wetland and exotic dryland species were more abundant in degraded than in intact sites. However, the abundance of native dryland germinants did not differ among degradation classes and no seeds of exotic wetland species were observed. Richness of exotic dryland species was significantly higher in degraded sites. Conclusions: Increasing disturbance promoted seed banks of exotic but not native dryland species and native but not exotic wetland species. Unexpectedly, disturbance promoted the abundance of native seeds more than exotics, although this was driven by a single species. Our results suggest that the dryland phase of the floodplain community is more resilient to degradation than predicted.     

Contribution of plant photosynthates to dissolved organic carbon in a flooded rice soil

Dissolved organic C (DOC) plays important roles in nutrient cycling and methane production in flooded rice ecosystem. The microcosm experiment was carried out to measure directly the contribution of photosynthates to DOC by using a ¹³C pulse-chase labeling technique. DOC was operationally divided into water-extractable organic C (WEOC) and salt-extractable organic C (SEOC) by successive extraction firstly with deionized water and then with 0.25 M K₂SO₄. Total WEOC increased with plant growth, whereas SEOC concentration did not change significantly over the growing season. About 0.037–0.36% (mean 0.16%) of the assimilated ¹³C was incorporated into WEOC immediately after ¹³CO₂ assimilation (Day 0), but only 0–0.025% (mean 0.01%) was incorporated into SEOC. At the end of the growing season, the ¹³C amounts of WEOC substantially decreased, while those of SEOC slightly increased. The estimated net plant C contribution was 21 mg C plant^–1 to WEOC and 6 mg C plant^–1 to SEOC, corresponding to 33.8% of total WEOC and 20.2% of total SEOC at the end of the growing season, respectively. The results suggest that the incorporation and decomposition of the photosynthesized C occurred rapidly in rice soil which significantly affected the WEOC dynamics, but SEOC appeared to be in equilibrium with the native soil organic matter, receiving less effect from the plant growth.     

Rice cultivar difference in seedling establishment in flooded soil

Seedling establishment of direct sown rice plants is less successful in flooded soil than in drained soil. This study was conducted to clarify the difference in morphogenesis of rice seeds sown in flooded and drained soils and to identify the morphological characteristics responsible for successful establishment of cultivars in flooded soil. Rice cultivars ASD1 and IR41996–50–2–1–3, superior in seedling establishment in flooded soil, and Mahsuri and IR72, non-superior (control), were sown at a depth of 25 mm in soil flooded with 25 mm of water or in drained soil. The coleoptile and 1st leaf emerged from the soil surface simultaneously in drained soil while in flooded soil the coleoptile emerged first. The coleoptile of superior cultivars, unlike the controls, elongated more in flooded soil than in drained soil. In flooded soil, the development of mesocotyl, 1st leaf, and roots were inhibited to a greater extent in the controls, than in the superior cultivars. In sealed flasks in which gas containing 0–21% O2 was exchanged daily, the superior cultivars developed longer coleoptiles than the controls at lower O2 concentrations. These findings suggest that the reason superior cultivars grow better in flooded soil than the controls is that the coleoptile elongates faster and longer in hypoxia and is able to reach the soil surface where O2 is available.     

Ammonia volatilization from a flooded tropical soil

Summary Ammonia volatilization, which follows upon the application of nitrogenous fertilizers to a flooded tropical soil, was directly measured in the greenhouse and in the field. Most of the ammonia volatilization losses occurred during the first 9 days after nitrogen application. Ammonia volatilization increased markedly with increases in soil pH. Nitrogen losses from ammonium sulfate applied to soils whose pH values were below 7.5 were very small. The losses from urea were much greater than those from ammonium sulfate. Mixing the fertilizer materials with the puddled soil reduced the losses. Ammonia losses from flooded soil were larger than from dry soil, and drying of a flooded soil reduced the duration and magnitude of ammonia volatilization. It is suggested that only a small amount of nitrogen is being lost through ammonia volatilization from many lowland rice soils. re]19750820     

Spatial distribution of methane-oxidizing activity in a flooded rice soil

In a study on spatial distribution of methane oxidation in an unplanted flooded field, methane-oxidizing activity, analysed in soil samples under laboratory conditions, decreased with increasing depth (25 cm and beyond). In a flooded field planted to rice, rates of methane oxidation followed the order : rhizosphere (collected from roots at 10-20 cm depth) > surface soil at (0-1 cm) > subsurface soil at 10-20 cm depth, diagonally 10-15 cm away from the centre of hill. Application of ammonium sulfate and, to a lesser extent, urea to surface, rhizosphere and subsurface soil samples from flooded field planted to rice effected a distinct inhibition of methane oxidation. Nitrification inhibitors (thiourea, sodium thiosulfate and dicyandiamide) were also effective in inhibiting methane oxidation. Both surface and rhizosphere soil samples harbored higher populations of methane-oxidizing bacteria than the subsurface soil. Inhibition of methane oxidation in surface and rhizosphere soil samples concomitant with the suppression of autotrophic ammonium oxidizers by nitrification inhibitors implicates an active involvement of autotrophic ammonium oxidizers in methane oxidation.     

Diversity in soil fungi as influenced by DDT

the application of 1 and 2 ppm DDT to soil did not result in any consistent trends in fungal numbers through a 14 week period. However the amplitude of population fluctuations was markedly suppressed in treated soils during the early weeks of treatment.A study of the effect of DDT on the population structure of the genusPenicillium indicated that it undergoes a reduction of diversity with treatment that persists at least through a 9 week survey period.     

Nitrification inhibition in a flooded soil by hexachlorocyclohexane and carbofuran

Summary The effect of a commercial granular formulation of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) on nitrification in a flooded soil was studied at 10 and 100 ppm a.i. The oxidation of the added ammonium to nitrate was inhibited significantly at 10 ppm and almost completely at 100 ppm, concomitant with a proportional decrease in the, populations of ammonium- and nitrite-oxidising autotrophic bacteria. Of special interest is the synergistic increase in the inhibition of nitrification by a combined application of HCH and carbofuran.     

Bioremediation of DDT contaminated soil using brown-rot fungi

The ability of brown-rot fungi (BRF) to eliminate DDT in artificially and historically contaminated soil was investigated to determine whether the BRF would be suitable for the bioremediation of DDT in soil. Gloeophyllum trabeum, Fomitopsis pinicola and Daedalea dickinsii showed an ability to eliminate DDT in artificially contaminated sterilized (SL) and un-sterilized (USL) soils. The addition of Fe²⁺ to the soil system enhanced the ability of some BRF to eliminate DDT. In the contaminated SL soil, the DDT was eliminated by approximately 41%, 9% and 15% by G. trabeum, F. pinicola and D. dickinsii, respectively. Compared with the controls, in the USL soil approximately 43%, 29% and 32% of DDT was eliminated and approximately 20%, 9% and 26% of DDD (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis (4-chlorophenyl) ethane) was detected as a metabolic product with G. trabeum, F. pinicola and D. dickinsii, respectively. Of the BRF, G. trabeum demonstrated the greatest ability to eliminate DDT both in the SL and USL soils. G. trabeum was applied to a historically contaminated soil which had a DDT concentration more than three times the artificially contaminated soil. G. trabeum remediated about 64% of the initial DDT with the addition of Fe²⁺. There were no significant differences in the results with or without the addition of Fe²⁺, indicating that G. trabeum can be used directly for the degradation of DDT in soil without any other additional treatment. This study identified that G. trabeum is the most promising BRF for use in the bioremediation of DDT contaminated soil.     

Factors inhibiting parathion hydrolysis in organic matter-amended soil under flooded conditions

Summary A water-extractable factor that developed in a flooded soil amended with 0.5% glucose or rice straw inhibited the biological hydrolysis of parathion. In glucose-amended flooded soil, the factor was removed by filtration of the standing water through a Millipore filter. Apparently, glucose application enhanced the proliferation of micro-organisms detrimental to parathionhydrolyzing agents. On the other hand, the toxic factor formed in rice straw-amended soil under flooded conditions passed through a Millipore membrane and was not inactivated by steam treatment. The toxicity developed within 36 h after flooding of rice straw-amended soil and persisted for 90 days or more under continued flooding. These studies indicated that a heat-resistant and stable factor with ability to block the hydrolysis of parathion developed in rice straw-amended soil under flooded conditions.     

Stem hypertrophic lenticels and secondary aerenchyma enable oxygen transport to roots of soybean in flooded soil

Background and Aims

Aerenchyma provides a low-resistance O₂ transport pathway that enhances plant survival during soil flooding. When in flooded soil, soybean produces aerenchyma and hypertrophic stem lenticels. The aims of this study were to investigate O₂ dynamics in stem aerenchyma and evaluate O₂ supply via stem lenticels to the roots of soybean during soil flooding.

Methods

Oxygen dynamics in aerenchymatous stems were investigated using Clark-type O₂ microelectrodes, and O₂ transport to roots was evaluated using stable-isotope ¹⁸O₂ as a tracer, for plants with shoots in air and roots in flooded sand or soil. Short-term experiments also assessed venting of CO₂ via the stem lenticels.

Key Results

The radial distribution of the O₂ partial pressure (pO₂) was stable at 17 kPa in the stem aerenchyma 15 mm below the water level, but rapidly declined to 8 kPa at 200–300 µm inside the stele. Complete submergence of the hypertrophic lenticels at the stem base, with the remainder of the shoot still in air, resulted in gradual declines in pO₂ in stem aerenchyma from 17·5 to 7·6 kPa at 13 mm below the water level, and from 14·7 to 6·1 kPa at 51 mm below the water level. Subsequently, re-exposure of the lenticels to air caused pO₂ to increase again to 14–17 kPa at both positions within 10 min. After introducing ¹⁸O₂ gas via the stem lenticels, significant ¹⁸O₂ enrichment in water extracted from roots after 3 h was confirmed, suggesting that transported O₂ sustained root respiration. In contrast, slight ¹⁸O₂ enrichment was detected 3 h after treatment of stems that lacked aerenchyma and lenticels. Moreover, aerenchyma accelerated venting of CO₂ from submerged tissues to the atmosphere.

Conclusions

Hypertrophic lenticels on the stem of soybean, just above the water surface, are entry points for O₂, and these connect to aerenchyma and enable O₂ transport into roots in flooded soil. Stems that develop aerenchyma thus serve as a ‘snorkel’ that enables O₂ movement from air to the submerged roots.     

Metabolism of nitrophenols by bacteria isolated from parathion-amended flooded soil

Two bacterial isolates from parathion-amended flooded soil, Pseudomonas sp. and Bacillus sp., were examined for their ability to decompose nitrophenols. Uniformly labelled ¹⁴C-p-nitrophenol was metabolized by both bacteria, ¹⁴CO₂ and nitrite being end products. A substantial portion (23% for Pseudomonas sp. and 80% for Bacillus sp.) of radioactivity applied as p-nitrophenol was accounted for as ¹⁴CO₂ at the end of a 72-h period; 8 to 16% remained in the water phase after solvent extraction. Pseudomonas sp. produced nitrite also from 2,4-dinitrophenol, but only after a lag, and not from o- and m-nitrophenols. Interestingly, m-nitrophenol, known for its resistance to biodegradation because of meta substitution, was decomposed by Bacillus sp., resulting in the formation of nitrite and phenol; o-nitrophenol and 2,4-dinitrophenol resisted degradation by this bacterium.