Copper uptake and phytotoxicity as assessed in situ for durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum L.) cultivated in Cu-contaminated, former vineyard soils

This work assessed in situ, copper (Cu) uptake and phytotoxicity for durum wheat (Triticum turgidum durum L.) cropped in a range of Cu-contaminated, former vineyard soils (pH 4.2–7.8 and total Cu concentration 32–1,030 mg Cu kg⁻¹) and identified the underlying soil chemical properties and related root-induced chemical changes in the rhizosphere. Copper concentrations in plants were significantly and positively correlated to soil Cu concentration (total and EDTA). In addition, Cu concentration in roots which was positively correlated to soil pH tended to be larger in calcareous soils than in non-calcareous soils. Symptoms of Cu phytotoxicity (interveinal chlorosis) were observed in some calcareous soils. Iron (Fe)–Cu antagonism was found in calcareous soils. Rhizosphere alkalisation in the most acidic soils was related to decreased CaCl₂-extractable Cu. Conversely, water-extractable Cu increased in the rhizosphere of both non-calcareous and calcareous soils. This work suggests that plant Cu uptake and risks of Cu phytotoxicity in situ might be greater in calcareous soils due to interaction with Fe nutrition. Larger water extractability of Cu in the rhizosphere might relate to greater Cu uptake in plants exhibiting Cu phytotoxic symptoms.     

Mobility, solubility and lability of fluid and granular forms of P fertiliser in calcareous and non-calcareous soils under laboratory conditions

Despite a long history of application of phosphorus fertilisers, P deficiency is still a major limitation to crop production on calcareous soils. Recent field research conducted in highly calcareous soils in southern Australia has demonstrated that both grain yield and P uptake of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is greater when fluid forms of P are used compared to granular forms. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this response to P in the field, we compared the lability, solubility and mobility of P applied as either a fluid (3 products) or granular (3 products) form to two calcareous and one alkaline non-calcareous soils in the laboratory. Over a five-week period, between 9.5 and 18 % of the P initially present in the fertiliser granules did not diffuse into the surrounding soil. The degree of granule dissolution was independent of the soil type. In contrast, P solubility, lability and diffusion were significantly greater when fluid products were applied to the calcareous soils, but not to the alkaline non-calcareous soil. These findings are discussed in relation to field trials results where fluid products outperformed granular fertilisers.     

Bicarbonate,the most important factor inducing iron chlorosis in vine grapes on calcareous soil

Summary In pot experiments grape vine was grown on a calcareous and on a non calcareous soil with a low and with a high water saturation. During the growing period soil solution samples were collected and analyzed for their pH and for HCO ₃ ⁻ , phosphate, Fe, and Ca. High water saturation resulted in a pH increase and in an increase of the HCO ₃ ⁻ concentration in both soils. The level in pH and HCO ₃ ⁻ , however, was much higher in the calcareous soil than in the non calcareous soil. The Fe concentration varied much throughout the experimental period, but there was no major differences between soils and water saturation treatments. The Ca concentration of the soil solution increased with time in the calcareous soil; for the non calcareous soil rather the reverse was true. The phosphate level in the soil solution of the non calcareous soil was about 10 times higher than in the calcareous soil. After 3 weeks growth all plants of the calcareous soil with the high water saturation showed first symptoms of Fe deficiency. These became more intense from day to day. Plants of the other treatments did not show any chlorotic symptoms. In the treatment with the chlorotic plants the HCO ₃ ⁻ concentration of the soil solution was the highest, the phosphate concentration the lowest from all treatments. It is therefore concluded that HCO ₃ ⁻ and not phosphate is the primary cause for lime induced Fe chlorosis. Despite the low phosphate concentration in the soil solution, the P concentration in the chlorotic leaves was more than twice as high as the P concentration in green leaves grown on the same soil. It is thus assumed that the high P content frequently found in chlorotic leaves is the result and not the cause for Fe chlorosis.     

Soil nutrient supply in natural and managed forests

The effect of a laboratory addition of 10, 100 and 500 mg Cd kg_{dry soil} ^-1 on ammonification and nitrification was studied using soil samples of two unpolluted grassland soils. Calcareous and non-calcareous soil were selected for this purpose. Various parameters of nitrifying activity were investigated simulataneously: activity during long-term laboratory incubations in the presence and absence of a substrate, mineralization potentials, and potential activity of both ammonium and nitrite oxidizers during short-term incubations in soil slurries. Cadmium was added as aqueous CdCl₂.Additions of both 100 and 500 mg Cd kg_{dry soil} ^-1 doses significantly lowered the ability of both soils to nitrify 100 g added NH₄ ⁺-N g_{dry soil} ^-1 as a substrate, which was reflected in a decreased rate of nitrate formation (maximum inhibition reached 60% in the calcareous soil and 45% in the non-calcareous soil). Furthermore, these two concentrations of Cd caused an abnormal accumulation of nitrite immediately after incorporation, particularly in the calcareous soil. The addition of 10 mg Cd kg_{dry soil} ^-1 intensified N-mineralization in both soils, probably as a consequence of a higher concentration of readily metabolized substrate originating from killed bacteria or fungi. An excess of nitrate was then formed as a final step. The harmful effect of cadmium was more pronounced in calcareous soil, probably due to the higher sensitivity of nitrite-oxidizers in these soil samples.     

Plant Seeds as Mineral Nutrient Resource for Seedlings--A Comparison of Plants from Calcareous and Silicate Soils

Mineral nutrients of seeds constitute a significant source ofessential elements to seedlings and developing individuals ofvascular plants. In spite of their potential ecological significance,seed nutrient pools have attracted little attention with respectto calcifuge–calcicole behaviour of plants. The objectivesof this study were, therefore, to compare concentrations of13 macro- and micronutrients (K, Rb, Mg, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu,Zn, Mo, B, P and S) in seeds and leaves of 35 mainly herbaceousvascular plant species growing on both limestone (calcareous)and silicate (non-calcareous) soils. Concentrations of Rb andCo in seeds of plants originating from limestone soils were,on average, about half of those from silicate soils. Concentrationsof Mn, Mg, Zn and P of seeds were, or tended to be, lower orslightly lower in limestone-soil plants, whereas mean Ca andMo concentrations were higher. Comparing seed and leaf concentrationsof the same species from limestone and silicate soils generallydemonstrated a high P enrichment ratio, but a particularly lowK enrichment ratio in seeds, valid for both types of soil. Itwas also apparent that Fe and Mn, micronutrients which are lessreadily solubilized and taken up by plants on limestone soils,had significantly higher seed:leaf concentration ratios in plantsfrom limestone than from silicate soils, whereas the oppositewas true for Ca. This indicates a ‘strategy’ tosatisfy the demand of seedlings for elements which are lessreadily available in the soil.Copyright 1998 Annals of BotanyCompany Seed, leaf, plant, nutrient, content, calcareous, silicate, acid, soil.     

Improving fertiliser efficiency on calcareous and alkaline soils with fluid sources of P,N and Zn

Alkaline calcareous or sodic soils represent an important proportion of the world's arable soils and are important for cereal production. For calcareous soils in general, despite high applications of P fertiliser for many years, P deficiency in cereals is common. Field experiments were conducted to test the relative ability of granular (e.g. DAP, MAP and TSP) and fluid fertilisers to supply P to wheat on grey calcareous and red brown calcareous sandy loam soils (Calcixerollic xerochrepts). A pot experiment was also conducted with these soils and with two non-calcareous alkaline soils to investigate the effects of placement on the efficiency of fertiliser performance. In 1998, fluid and granular sources of P, N and Zn were compared in the field by banding below the seed at sowing. In 1999, MAP applied as granular, and technical grade MAP applied as fluid, were compared as sources of P in rate response experiments. First year results showed that fluid sources of P, N and Zn produced significantly more grain than the granular product. In the following year, fluid fertilisers were found to produce significantly higher response curves for shoot dry weight, grain yield and P uptake in grain. At a commercial rate of 8 kg P ha^–1, fluid fertiliser produced between 22% and 27% more grain than the granular product. Soil moisture and fertiliser placement effects are implicated in the higher efficiency of fluid fertilisers.     

Influence of calcareous soil on Cry3Bb1 expression and efficacy in the field

Greater than expected injury by western corn rootworm (WCR) (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) to Cry3Bb1 expressing maize hybrids (Zea mays L.) has been reported in southwestern Nebraska. Affected areas of some fields are often associated with high pH calcareous soils where maize growth is poor and iron chlorosis is common. As part of a comprehensive study to understand potential causes of unexpected injury, experiments were conducted during 2013 and 2014 to ascertain whether the calcareous soil conditions and associated poor maize growth negatively affect the expression of Cry3Bb1. Quantitative determination of Cry3Bb1 protein expression levels in root tissues was carried out on plants at V5–V6 growth stage using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cry3Bb1 and non-Bt near isoline maize hybrids were artificially infested with Cry3Bb1-susceptible WCR eggs to measure survival and efficacy of Cry3Bb1 maize in calcareous and non-calcareous soils. Results showed that there was not a significant difference in expression of Cry3Bb1 protein between plants from calcareous and non-calcareous soils (18.9–21.2 µg/g fresh weight). Western corn rootworm survival was about sevenfold greater from the non-Bt isoline than Cry3Bb1 maize indicating that Cry3Bb1 performed as expected when infested with a Cry3Bb1 susceptible rootworm population. When survival from calcareous and non-calcareous soils was compared, no significant differences were observed in each soil. A significant positive correlation between soil pH and expression of Cry3Bb1 protein in roots was detected from samples collected in 2014 but not in 2013. No such correlation was found between soil pH and survival of WCR. Results suggest that Cry3Bb1 expression levels were sufficient to provide adequate root protection against WCR regardless of soil environment, indicating that lowered Cry3Bb1 expression is not a contributing factor to the greater than expected WCR injury observed in some southwestern Nebraska maize fields.     

The role of calcium in buffering soils

Abstract. Calcium is the soluble cation that occurs in largest amount in most soils. It does not take part directly in the proton transfer reactions involved in pH-buffering, but it provides the cation charge balance for these reactions. It is also the complementary cation in formulations of chemical potential for many other ions in soils. The presence of free calcium carbonate in calcareous soils. The presence of free calcium carbonate in calcareous soils ensures a very high soil buffer capacity; d AB/ d pH ≃ 1000 Eq. m⁻³.
In acid mineral soils, dissolution and precipitation of aluminium ions contribute to the buffering processes, but most of the buffering in non-calcareous soils is caused by specific ion adsorption at variable-charge sites, in particular those associated with the dissociation of humus acids. Typical buffer capacity values of non-calcareous soils vary from 10 Eq. m⁻³ for sandy soils to 100 Eq. m⁻³ for peats. The pH changes associated with buffering are produced by leaching of calcium from soil, or by adding calcium to soil in liming materials.     

Leaf litter inputs decrease phosphate sorption in a strongly weathered tropical soil over two time scales

In strongly weathered soils, leaf litter not only returns phosphorus (P) to the soil environment, it may also modify soil properties and soil solution chemistry, with the potential to decrease phosphate sorption and increase plant available P. Using a radioactive phosphate tracer (³²P) and 1 h laboratory incubations we investigated the effect of litter inputs on phosphate sorption over two time scales: (1) long-term field litter manipulations (litter addition, control and litter removal) and (2) pulses of litter leachate (i.e. water extracts of leaf litter) from five species. Leachate pulse effects were compared to a simulated throughfall, which served as a control solution. Soil receiving long-term doubling of leaf litter maintained five-fold more phosphate in solution than the litter removal soil. In addition to the quantity of phosphate sorbed, the field litter addition treatment decreased the strength of phosphate sorption, as evaluated through extraction of sorbed ³²P using a weakly acidic ammonium fluoride solution (Bray 1). In litter removal soil, leachate pulses significantly reduced phosphate sorption in comparison to the throughfall control for all five species evaluated. However, the ability of leachate pulses to reduce phosphate sorption decreased when soil had received field litter inputs. Across soils the effect of leachate pulses on phosphate sorption increased with net sorption of dissolved organic C, with the exception of leachate from one species that had a higher index of aromatic C concentration. These results demonstrate that litter inputs, as both long-term inputs and short-term leachate pulses, can decrease the quantity and strength of phosphate sorption, which may increase the biological availability of this key nutrient.     

Phosphorus fertilizer recovery from calcareous soils amended with humic and fulvic acids

Precipitation of Ca phosphates negatively affects recovery by plants of P fertilizer applied to calcareous soils, but organic matter slows the precipitation of poorly soluble Ca phosphates. To study the effect of high molecular weight organic compounds on the recovery of applied P, a mixture of humic and fulvic acids was applied to calcareous soils with different levels of salinity and Na saturation which were fertilized with 200 and 2000 mg P kg^–1 as NH₄H₂PO₄. Recovery was measured as the ratio of increment in Olsen P-to-applied P after 30, 60 and 150 days, and associated P forms were studied using sequential chemical fractionation and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. Application of the humic-fulvic acid mixture (HFA) increased the amount of applied P recovered as Olsen P in all the soils except in one soil with the highest Na saturation. In soils with high Ca saturation and high Olsen P, recovery increased from < 15% in the absence of amendment to > 40% at a 5 g HFA kg^–1 amendment rate (30 days incubation and 200 mg P kg^–1 fertilizer rate). This is ascribed to inhibition of the precipitation of poorly soluble Ca phosphates, consistent with the sequential chemical extraction (reduction of the HCl extractable P) and P concentration in 0.01 M CaCl₂ (1:10 soil:solution ratio) extracts. ³¹P NMR spectra revealed that in non-amended samples, most spectral shifts were due to poorly soluble P compounds (carbonate apatite); on the other hand, at the 5 g HFA kg^–1 rate, significant amounts of amorphous Ca phosphate and dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCDP) were identified. The increase in the recovery of applied P due to HFA reveals a positive effect of the application of organic matter as soil amendments on the efficiency of P fertilizers and also explains that manures and other organic sources of P were more efficient increasing available P than inorganic P fertilizers in calcareous soils.     

短链聚磷酸磷肥对土壤无机磷转化及铁锰锌有效性的影响

明确聚磷酸形态磷在土壤中的转化及其对土壤磷有效性的影响是聚磷酸类磷肥合理施用的前提.本研究通过盆栽试验比较了施用磷酸一铵和聚磷酸类磷肥对石灰性土壤和酸性红壤有效磷、无机磷转化和土壤微量元素活化的影响,同时研究了不同磷源在油菜上的施用效果.结果表明: 聚磷酸磷肥可显著提高石灰性土壤磷的有效性.与磷酸一铵(MAP)处理相比,聚磷酸处理的土壤水溶性磷和有效磷平均含量分别提高了19.0%和25.4%;对土壤无机磷连续浸提试验表明,Resin-P(树脂磷)和NaHCO₃-P(高活性磷)较MAP处理分别提高了22.8%和43.3%,NaOH-P(中活性磷)较MAP处理提高了33.8%,说明聚磷酸磷肥可显著减少石灰性土壤对磷的固定.在酸性红壤上,施用聚磷酸类磷肥对提高土壤磷的有效性及减少磷的固定效果不明显.聚磷酸磷肥可显著提高石灰性和酸性土壤Fe、Mn、Zn的有效性.与MAP处理相比,聚磷酸肥料处理下石灰性土壤有效Fe、Mn、Zn分别提高了2.1%、16.2%和20.8%,红壤的有效Fe、Mn、Zn含量分别高了6.6%、11.9%和9.2%.聚磷酸磷肥显著提高了石灰性土壤上油菜干物质、吸磷量和磷肥利用率,但在酸性红壤上聚磷酸磷肥处理肥料效应却低于MAP处理.总之,聚磷酸磷肥在提高石灰性土壤中磷的有效性、减少磷的固定、活化Fe、Mn、Zn等微量元素以及改善油菜磷素营养方面均具有显著效果,是在石灰性土壤上能有效替代正磷酸磷肥的新型磷肥.     

A comparison of some populations of Eucalyptus viminalis Labill. growing on calcareous and acid soils in Victoria,Australia

A study of populations of Eucalyptus viminalis found on both acid and alkaline soils showed that seedlings differ in their tolerance of calcareous soils and their susceptibility to lime chlorosis. Seedlings from an open-forest population on calcareous dunes in the Otway Ranges, Victoria, averaged a significantly greater yield than seedlings of three other populations found on acid soils when all were grown on calcareous soil of pH 6.8. A tall ribbon gum form of E. viminalis, from Paradise gully in the Otways, was the least tolerant of alkaline conditions and showed severe signs of chlorosis and reddening of leaf margins. The latter appeared to be related to high uptake of phosphorus. This population showed rapid growth on a fertile acid loam. The data presented also emphasize the need to consider the variation in soils which can occur at any one site. Population differences were most marked when seedlings were grown on soils of pH near 7.0. Yield was reduced in the Otways calcareous population when seedlings were grown on the more leached soil from swales (pH 6.5) between dunes and on the highly calcareous soil from the dune crests (pH 7.8–8.0). The failure of any of the populations of E. viminalis studied to grow well on soils of high pH suggest that this species is not tolerant of highly calcareous soils. This may in part explain the absence of this species from the drier calcareous areas on the Mornington Peninsula and the Yanakie Isthmus, Victoria. Since seedlings had reduced root development on the soil collected from the Peninsula, E. viminalis may be restricted, in effect because of drought stress, to non-calcareous sites in the eastern part of Victoria.     

Increased Phosphorus Uptake by Wheat and Field Beans Inoculated with a Phosphorus-Solubilizing Penicillium bilaji Strain and with Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted to test the effect of a P-solubilizing isolate of Penicillium bilaji on the availability of Idaho rock phosphate (RP) in a calcareous soil. Under controlled greenhouse conditions, inoculation of soils with P. bilaji along with RP at 45 μg of P per g of soil resulted in plant dry matter production and P uptake by wheat (Triticum aestivum) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) that were not significantly different from the increases in dry matter production and P uptake caused by the addition of 15 μg of P per g of soil as triple superphosphate. Addition of RP alone had no effect on plant growth. Addition of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was necessary for maximum effect in the sterilized soil in the greenhouse experiment. Under field conditions, a treatment consisting of RP (20 kg of P per ha of soil) plus P. bilaji plus straw resulted in wheat yields and P uptake equivalent to increases due to the addition of monoammonium phosphate added at an equivalent rate of P. RP added alone had no effect on wheat growth or P uptake. The results indicate that a biological system of RP solubilization can be used to increase the availability of RP added to calcareous soils.     

The effect of phytase on the availability of P from myo-inositol hexaphosphate (phytate) for maize roots

The effect of adding phytase to the root medium of maize plants on the P-availability of added myo-inositol hexaphosphate (phytin) has been studied in pot experiments. When 40 mM phytin-P in nutrient solution was incubated in quartz-sand for 15 days in the absence of plants, 80% of it could be recovered from the solution as soluble organic P. Maize plants growing on this mixture assimilated P from phytin at rates comparable to those from inorganic phosphate (Pi). At a lower addition rate (2 mM phytin-P) only 10% was recovered in the soil solution, and plant growth was severely limited by P. At this low phytin level, the addition of phytase (10 enzyme units per kg sand) increased the plants' dry weight yield by 32%. The relative increases of the Pi concentration in the solution and of the amount of P in the plants were even higher, indicating that the observed growth stimulation was due to an increased rate of phytin hydrolysis. The enzyme-induced growth stimulation was also observed with plants growing in pots filled with soil low in P, when phytin was added. However, on three different soils the addition rates of phytin and phytase necessary for obtaining a significant phytase effect were both about 10 times higher than those required in quartzsand. It is concluded that the P-availability from organic sources can be limited by the rate of their hydrolytic cleavage.Abbreviation Pi inorganic phosphate     

Phosphorus availability to maize as influenced by organic manures and fertilizer P associated phosphatase activity in soils

Laboratory incubation and green house studies were conducted to compare the P availability of organic manures and P uptake from organic manures by maize. Various organic manures viz. Poultry manure (PM), Farmyard manure (FYM), Green manure (GM) and Crop residue (CR) and graded levels of fertilizer P were applied in Samana sandy loam and Ladhowal silt loam soils and incubated for 7, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days. Samples were analyzed for P availability, P uptake and alkaline phosphatase activity. The overall, phosphatase activity, Paranitrophenyl phosphate (PNP h⁻¹ g⁻¹), in the Ladhowal silt loam soil was higher than in the Samana sandy loam soil. As the level of inorganic P increased, the release of PNP h⁻¹ g⁻¹ soil also increased. Among different organic manures, PM registered the highest enzyme activity followed by FYM, GM and CR. Compared to 7 days incubation a slightly higher increase in PNP was noticed in samples from 90 days incubation in both soils. The differential phosphatase activity in the organic manures was further reflected in dynamic P availability. The highest amount of Olsen extractable P was in PM-treated soil followed by FYM, GM and field pea crop residue. Organic manure addition along with inorganic P, irrespective of the source, increased the Olsen extractable P throughout the incubation period. Total P uptake by maize increased with the increasing level of inorganic P in both soils. The highest uptake was obtained in PM-treated soil and lowest in the CR-amended soil. We conclude that PM more readily supplies P to plants than other organic manure sources.     

The distribution of Minuartia verna and Thlaspi alpestre in the British Isles in relation to 13 soil metals

The plant-communities from habitats of the metallophyte species Minuartia verna and Thlaspi alpestre (T. caerulescens) at sites disturbed and undisturbed by mining are described. Four communities were delineated by cluster and principal component analysis. Group 1 comprised species-poor communities on disturbed non-calcareous soils; group 2, relatively species-rich communities on disturbed calcareous soils; group 3, species-rich communities in the main on undisturbed calcareous soils. Group 4 consisted of species-rich communities with an alpine element, in damp habitats on base-rich soils derived from igneous rocks. Total and exchangeable elements As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined for the soils of these sites. Levels of soil Ca, Cd, Pb and Zn accounted for most of the variation along the first axis of the PCA and soil nutrient levels were probably the main predictor along the second.Abbreviations PCA Principal Component Analysis     

Soil factors influencing the distribution of ecotype populations in Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link (Gramineae)

The "short form", an ecotype of Echinochloa colonum (L.) Link from three distinct soils of varied calcium status, at Malla (calcareous), Shiwalik (moderately calcareous) and Chandigarh (non-calcareous), showed a differential response to a number of nutrients which is related to their natural availability. The decreased growth of the Malla population at high nitrogen and high potassium levels is related to the low availability of these nutrients in calcareous soil. Similarly, the better growth-yield of the Chandigarh population at high levels of these nutrients could similarly be related. The calcareous population from Malla was found to be, in general, more selective with regard to the uptake of various nutrients than the non-calcareous population from Chandigarh. On the basis of the results presented here, three subecotypes have been shown to exist within the ecotype "short form"of E. colonum and this complex pattern of differentiation was shown to be in response to a whole series of selective forces in the environment. The significance of these results is discussed.     

Root-induced modifications of the exchange of phosphate ion between soil solution and soil solid phase

The uptake of phosphorus (P) by roots results in a depletion of phosphate ions (PO₄) in the rhizosphere. The corresponding decrease in PO₄ concentration in the soil solution (C_P) gives rise to a replenishment of P from the solid phase which is time- and C_P-dependent. This PO₄ exchange which reflects the buffer power of the soil for PO₄ also varies with the composition and the physico-chemical conditions of the soil. As root activity can modify these physico-chemical conditions in the rhizosphere, the question arises whether these modifications affect the ability of PO₄ bound to the soil solid phase to exchange with PO₄ in soil solution. The aim of the present work was to measure and compare the parameters which describe the amount of PO₄ bound to soil solid phase that is capable to replenish solution P for both rhizosphere and bulk soils. The soil sample was a P-enriched, calcareous topsoil collected from a long-term fertiliser trial. Rhizosphere soil samples were obtained by growing dense mats of roots at the surface of 3 mm thick soil layer for one week. Three plant species were compared: oilseed rape (Brassica napus L., cv Goeland) pea (Pisum sativum L., cv. Solara) and maize ( Zea mays L., cv. Volga). The time- and C_P-dependence of the PO₄ exchange from soil to solution were described using an isotopic dilution method. The measured C_P values were 0.165 mg P L⁻¹ for bulk soil and 0.111, 0.101 and 0.081 mg P L⁻¹ for rhizosphere soils of maize, pea and rape, respectively. The kinetics of the PO₄ exchange between liquid and solid phases of soil were significantly different between rhizosphere and bulk soils. However, when changes in C_P were accounted for, the parameters describing the PO₄ exchange with time and C_P between soil solution and soil solid phase were found to be very close for bulk and rhizosphere soils. For this calcareous and P-enriched soil, plant species differed in their ability to deplete PO₄ in solution. The resulting changes in the ability of the soil solid phase to replenish solution PO₄ were almost fully explained by the depletion of soil solution P. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Yield and seed quality of two N<Subscript>2</Subscript>-fixing common bean cultivars grown on calcareous soil

Legume seeds such as common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are of major importance for human nutrition in the Mediterranean region, owing to their high protein and iron contents. Iron deficiency is a major agricultural issue limiting crop yields, especially on calcareous soils which represent more than 30% of the world’s land surface. In the present study, we compared the effect of iron deficiency on the yield and the seed quality of two common bean cultivars, contrasting in their tolerance ability to iron deficiency. Seedlings were inoculated with an efficient strain of Rhizobium tropici CIAT 899 and were grown on either non-calcareous or calcareous soil. Seed and pod numbers, seed weight and quality were evaluated. On the calcareous soil, iron deficiency decreased the plant yield, reduced the weight and the number of seeds and impaired the seed quality as expressed by seed mineral composition, protein and soluble sugar contents. The tolerant cultivar, Flamingo, grew better and produced seeds with higher protein and mineral contents than the sensitive cultivar, Coco blanc.     

养分和水添加对弃耕草地土壤无机磷组分的影响

合理的养分和水分管理措施是提高退化草地生产力和生物多样性的有效途径,但养分和水添加对弃耕草地土壤无机磷组分的影响研究较少.本文依托内蒙古多伦县2005年建立的养分(N∶ 10 g·m-2·a-1、P∶ 10g·m-2·a-1)和水分(植物生长季增水180 mm)添加田间试验,研究了表土(0～10 cm)无机磷组分及有效...