Exploratory pot experiments on sensitiveness of different crops to sodium: D. Barley

Summary The effect of sodium on barley has been investigated by means of three pot experiments, of which one was on a humic sandy soil and two on an artificial soil complex (dusarit/quartz-sand mixture).In two of these experiments the effect of sodium — as nitrate of soda — was studied by comparison with calcium nitrate. At low potassium levels sodium was found to excercise a positive effect, but with an ample supply of potassium no differences between the effects of the two nitrate fertilizers were observed.In the third experiment a wide variation in the potassium and sodium levels was introduced by the application of these elements adsorbed to dusarit, all treatments receiving nitrogen in the form of calcium nitrate. Little influence was exercised by the total level of monovalent ions (10, 20 and 40 per cent respectively, of the adsorbed bases). Three-quarters, or possibly seven-eights of the potassium was found to be replaceable by sodium without causing significant changes in the yields of grain and straw.From a survey of the available literature it cannot yet be concluded whether the importance of sodium for barley is limited to a beneficial effect resulting from its mere replacement of potassium, when too little of the latter is available, or whether this importance may be regarded as essential in the sense that sodium has a yield-increasing effect, even in the presence of a sufficiency of potassium.     

Some effects of applied sodium and potassium chloride on yellow rust in winter wheat

In glasshouse experiments with plants in pots, applications of potassium chloride to the soil at 0.5 g/plant, 4 days before inoculation with Puccinia striiformis, decreased the severity of yellow rust on several winter wheat cultivars in comparison with untreated plants. Conversely, yellow rust was encouraged by applications of sodium nitrate. Sodium chloride in solution (8.6 g/l) reduced yellow rust when applied to the soil at the rate of 20 ml/plant but not when it was sprayed on to the leaves. In small-plot field experiments, sodium and potassium chlorides applied to the soil as dry powders in the spring at rates of 376, 1130 or 2260 kg/ha, significantly decreased the severity of yellow rust on most of the winter wheat cvs examined at each rate. The chlorides at these rates did not adversely affect the overall growth or yield in the absence of yellow rust.     

Exploratory pot experiments on sensitiveness of different crops to sodium: C. flax

Summary In three pot experiments the effect of sodium on the development of flax and its fibre quality was investigated. Sodium, applied either in the nitrate form or as dusarit in an artificial soil complex, stimulated the vegetative development, even in the presence of an ample K-supply. It also had a favourable effect on the quality of the fibre, which was greatest when 6 percent of the exchangeable bases were in form of sodium but gradually decreased at higher percentages. Overdosage of sodium, especially in combination with high potassium, induced a condition of calcium deficiency as diagnosed by the drooping of the heads (wilting of the apex), and resulted in lower grain yields.     

The influence of fertilizers,soil organic matter and soil compaction on maize yields on the Surinam ‘Zanderij’ soils

Summary In connection with the growing interest in Surinam to exploit the soils in the hinterland, some trials were carried out on Zanderij soils to study productivity, fertilizer need and influence of some special soil factors on yield. The test crop was maize. The yields were generally low which might partly be attributed to the relative dry weather conditions during the trials. On all soils investigated, yield responses to phosphate application were high. On loamy soils there was sometimes a response to nitrogen and on sandy soils to potassium. Yields on sands were lower than on loamy sands and sandy loams. The most important yield determining soil factor proved to be organic matter. On compacted soils yields were considerably lower which was due to increased mechanical impedance for root growth and in some cases to inadequate aeration. Also published as Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Paramaribo, Surinam. Also published as Bulletin of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Paramaribo, Surinam.     

The change from symmetry to asymmetry of a sodium transport system in red cell membranes

A study has been made with human red cells of sodium movements that are sensitive to the drug furosemide. The aim was to see if furosemide-sensitive movements that are symmetrical (exchange) became asymmetrical (net transport) on replacement of chloride with nitrate as the major external anion. Cells were incubated for 4 h at 37 degrees C with 140 mM sodium, and chloride or nitrate as the principal anion. Under a variety of conditions (presence and absence of ouabain or furosemide, or both) the cell sodium concentration was always higher when chloride was replaced with nitrate. The cells became leakier to sodium. Tracer studies indicated that, in contrast to the results in chloride medium, the decrease in sodium influx was greater than the fall in efflux when furosemide was added to cells in nitrate medium. The results confirm that the sensitivity of sodium efflux to furosemide depended on chloride. However, influx showed a different sensitivity in that furosemide still inhibited in cells incubated in nitrate medium. The stimulation of sodium influx with nitrate medium was independent of external potassium (10-50 mM) and the furosemide-sensitive influx was also constant. It is concluded that symmetrical transmembrane sodium movements with cells in chloride medium became downhill asymmetrical in nitrate medium, giving a net gain of cell sodium that was insensitive to ouabain and sensitive to furosemide. The drug thus partly retarded the gain of cell sodium that otherwise occurred in the somewhat leaky cells.     

水稻-雍菜间作系统中种间关系和水稻的硅、氮营养状况

间作是一种优良的生态农业模式,但以水稻为主的水生作物间作研究很少.本试验以水稻和雍菜为研究对象,开展了连续两年(2014—2015年)四季的大田试验,研究水稻和雍菜间作条件下产量、种间关系以及水稻的硅、氮营养状况.试验共设置5个处理,包括水稻单作、雍菜单作、水稻-雍菜2∶2间作、3∶2间作、4∶2间作.结果表明: 水稻和雍菜间作显著增加水稻的产量,其中2∶2间作、3∶2间作和4∶2间作在单位面积上的增产幅度分别为77.5%～120.6%、64.9%～80.9%、37.7%～56.0%,但间作显著降低了雍菜的产量.从土地当量比(LER)来看,水稻和雍菜间作可增加系统的综合产量,3种间作的LER全部大于1,其中3∶2间作模式最佳.从竞争指数来看,在间作系统中,水稻比雍菜有更强的竞争能力,特别是在早季.与水稻单作相比,水稻-雍菜间作显著增加水稻叶片对硅和氮的吸收量以及成熟期水稻叶片的硅含量,但是并没有增加水稻叶片的氮含量,甚至在成熟期略低于单作;而对土壤有效硅、铵态氮和硝态氮含量没有显著影响.在整个试验期间,与水稻单作和间作相比,雍菜单作始终有最高的土壤有效硅、铵态氮和硝态氮含量.本研究表明,水稻和雍菜间作可以促进水稻对硅和氮的吸收,增加水稻的竞争能力.     

Exploratory pot experiments on sensitiveness of different crops to sodium: B. Oats

Summary Two pot experiments with oats are described: 1. on an artificial soil complex (sand-dusarit mixture) and 2. on a humic sandy soil, in which the Na effect of nitrate of soda was studied by comparison with calcium nitrate. On the Na-free sand-dusarit mixture a positive Na effect on grain and straw was obtained at all K levels. On the other hand, the Na effect in the soil experiment was confined to the pots without K dressing. The soil itself however, had an appreciable K content and a high Na content.A further study of the literature on pot experiments with oats leads to the conclusion that the Na effect was incorrectly interpreted in the past as a K-replacing effect, whereas the results point mostly to an independent function of Na by itself (positive yield effects in the presence of sufficient potassium). Out of 12 available examples, only 3 turn out to be in favour of a mere K-replacing action. Moreover, 2 of them cannot be called conclusive, because of unmistakable presence of fairly large amounts of Na in the growing medium.     

Nitrate distribution in tropical soils

Summary The downward movement of the nitrate ion in the top 5 ft of Tippera clay loam was followed by applying sodium nitrate at the rate of 2000 pounds per acre to bare fallow soil after different rain intervals during the 1957/58 wet season. At the end of the season soil samples were collected at 6-inch intervals and compared with samples from adjacent plots that received an equivalent anion quantity of sodium chloride after the same rain intervals. After 23.7 inches of rain the distribution of nitrate and chloride anions the soil profile was nearly identical and it was concluded that the anions are equally mobile in this soil.The mean movement of the anion was 1.075 inches for each inch of rainfall. A high positive correlation of 0.946 was obtained between mean movement and rainfall. The downward movement of both anions out of the topsoil appeared to be enhanced by channels left by partly decomposed roots.Application of sodium chloride on sandier soils revealed a much higher mean movement of anions on Blain sand than on Tippera clay loam after equal amounts of rain, but on Florina sand with a high silt content in the topsoil the mean anion movement approached that of the clay soil. The difference is explained in terms of low infiltration rate into the Florina soil.The practical implications of leaching of nitrate in Tippera soil are briefly discussed.     

Freezing of isolated thylakoid membranes in complex media: I. The effect of potassium and sodium chloride,nitrate, and sulfate

Thylakoid membranes isolated from spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Monatol) were subjected to a freeze-thaw cycle in the presence of a buffered medium containing sorbitol as a cryoprotectant and various combinations of potassium and sodium chloride, nitrate, and sulfate. Above a certain total salt concentration, an increase in the concentration of a single electrolyte, or of potassium plus sodium salts with identical anions, always led to a decrease in photophosphorylation activity. A similar effect was obtained with combinations of nitrate plus chloride with identical cations and of KNO₃ plus NaCl. By contrast, in the presence of suitable combinations of NaNO₃ plus KCl, NaNO₃ plus sulfates, and chlorides plus sulfates, inactivation of photophosphorylation was diminished, sometimes dramatically, at initial molarities of nitrate or chloride which alone caused partial or complete membrane damage. When NaNO₃, KCl, and potassium or sodium sulfate were simultaneously present during freezing, thylakoids were affected very little over a wide range of concentration. Diminution or prevention of inactivation of photophosphorylation by suitable combinations of two or more cryotoxic inorganic salts can be explained by postulating that the different solutes act on different sites and that each reduces the concentration of the others by colligative action, together with specific effects of the various electrolytes on individual membrane sites.     

The effect of sulfur on the response of cotton to urea under alkali soil conditions in pot experiments

Summary The effect of sulfur (S) placement and S rate on the efficiency of urea (U) relative to ammonium sulfate (AS) and ammonium nitrate (AN) for cotton were examined in a pot experiment using sandy clay loam soil (pH 7.9). The results showed that AS and AN application in the absence of S increased the yield than U partly because U-induced damage to plants. The combined application of the N sources with S increased the yields and that, the placement of S in the seed horizon in contact with N was more effective than mixing throughout the soil especially with U. These effects were observed with three cotton cultivars. The addition of S to a maximum of 1.5 g/pot gave further increases in yields or the N content of leaves for U, AS or AN. Using the least squares method, it was found that the presence of S significantly increased the efficiency of U than AS or AN. Incubation of S and the N sources with S in the soil was carried out to understand the growth conditions of cotton fertilized by U in alkalin soil. In the case of U-soil system, the pH increased. NO₂−N accumulated and considerable loss of N took place. The pH, NO₂−N accumulation and the loss of N decreased with S increments.     

施用猪粪对油麦菜产量、硝酸盐含量及土壤养分的影响

应用盆栽试验方法,研究了施用猪粪对西南地区黄壤和紫色土中油麦菜产量、硝酸盐含量及土壤养分的影响.结果表明:施用猪粪能显著提高油麦菜产量,且黄壤中油麦菜增产幅度大于紫色土;油麦菜中硝酸盐、氮磷钾含量与土壤类型及猪粪施用量密切相关,以中国农业科学院制定的蔬菜中硝酸盐污染程度评价标准为依据,在紫色土对照(CK)及1倍猪粪(相当于施纯N 200 kg·hm^-2)处理下油麦菜硝酸盐含量较低,符合一级标准(≤432 mg·kg^-1,轻度污染);其他处理多超过二级标准(≤758 mg·kg^-1,中度污染),但均未超过三级标准(≤1440 mg·kg-¹,重度污染);黄壤中除化肥和8倍猪粪(相当于施纯N 1600 kg·hm^-2)处理下油麦菜硝酸盐含量超过二级标准外,其他各处理均符合一级标准;黄壤和紫色土中表征磷素淋失风险的有效磷临界值分别为96.3和107.7 mg·kg^-1.黄壤的猪粪环境安全容量较紫色土高.施用猪粪能显著提高两种土壤的有机碳和全氮含量.     

聚丙烯酰胺对坡地苹果园水土流失和土壤养分流失的影响

为了改善坡地苹果园的土壤环境,遏制水土流失和土壤养分流失,探寻聚丙烯酰胺适宜的干撒施用量,2010—2012年在陕北丘陵沟壑区的坡地苹果园,以不施聚丙烯酰胺为对照,分别撒施0.6、0.8、1.0、1.2、1.4和1.6 g·m^-2的聚丙烯酰胺,监测果园地表产流、土壤流失、养分流失和苹果植株生长状况.结果表明: 坡地果园的径流量和5—7月的产流次数均随聚丙烯酰胺撒施量的增加呈“V”型变化,其中撒施量为1.0 g·m^-2时最低,但果园侵蚀泥沙量则随聚丙烯酰胺撒施量的增加而降低.地表径流和侵蚀泥沙中的铵态氮、速效磷和速效钾的浓度均随聚丙烯酰胺撒施量的增加而降低;聚丙烯酰胺可显著降低地表径流中的硝态氮含量,对侵蚀泥沙中的硝态氮含量则无显著影响;侵蚀泥沙中的有机质、全氮、全磷和全钾含量均随聚丙烯酰胺撒施量的增加而降低.聚丙烯酰胺提高了苹果单果质量及产量,但对苹果植株生长及果实风味品质无显著影响.聚丙烯酰胺在坡地苹果园中的适宜撒施量应为1.0 g·m^-2.     

Nitrogen and sulphur requirements of Colletotrichum inamdarii Lal

Summary Nitrogen and sulphur requirements ofColletotrichum inamdarii Lal isolated from the leaves ofCarissa carandas L. have been studied. DL-serine, L-asparagine and L-phenylalanine have been found to be of good nitrogen source followed by potassium nitrate, calcium nitrate, magnesium nitrate, DL-alanine, ammonium nitrate, glutamic acid, ammonium sulphate, DL-valine, aspartic acid, ammonium chloride, ammonium hydrogencarbonate, L-histidine and potassium nitrite. There was no growth in the absence of nitrogen.Sporulation was excellent on calcium nitrate and sodium nitrate, Very good on DL-serine, potassium nitrate, and magnesium nitrate. Good on L-asparagine, L-phenylalanine and ammonium oxalate. Fair on DL-alanine, DL-leucine, ammonium sulphate, DL-valine, ammonium chloride and L-histidine whereas poor on glutamic acid, aspartic acid, ammonium tartarate and ammonium nitrate. Few spores were observed on ammonium hydrogencarbonate but potassium nitrite did not show any sporulation.Amongst the sulphur compounds sodium bisulphate gave the best growth and good sporulation, followed by sodium thiosulphate, magnesium sulphate, ammonium sulphate and potassium sulphate. Thiourea gave negligible growth whereas it failed to grow on zinc sulphate and potassium persulphate.     

Decrease in nitrate reductase activity in extracts of Trichoderma viride Incubated with chlorides.

Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-dependent nitrate reductase activity in crude extracts of Trichoderma virde was significantly inhibited by physiological concentrations of ammonium chloride, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride, but not by ammonium or sodium sulfate. The chloride inhibition of nitrate reductase activity increased in a linear manner with chloride concentration.     

Production of moderately halophilic amylase by newly isolated Micrococcus sp. 4 from a salt-pan

A new moderately halophilic Micrococcus sp. 4, isolated from salt-pan water from India, produced extracellular amylase when cultivated aerobically in medium containing wheat bran, peptone, beef extract and sodium chloride. Other salts, such as sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sodium sulphate, were also found to be suitable for growth and enzyme production. Maximum amylase activity (1.2 IU ml^-1) was secreted in the presence of 1 mol 1^-1 sodium chloride. The enzyme requires the presence of either sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium nitrate, sodium citrate or sodium acetate for its activity. Maximum activity was found in the presence of 1 mol 1^-1 sodium chloride. The pH and temperature optima for enzyme activity were 7.5 and 50°C, respectively.     

Measurement of the electrical potential difference across the membrane of the ehrlich mouse ascites tumor cell

The electrical potential difference (PD) across the membrane of the Ehrlich mouse ascites tumor cell has been measured with intracellular microelectrodes. The mean for 111 cells in control Ringer solution was ? 11.2 mV ± 0.29 (SE), interior negative. When sulfate replaced chloride in the external medium the PD fell to ? 2.8 mV if measured as soon as possible after mixing the cells with a sulfate medium, but when nitrate replaced chloride the PD fell only to ? 8.5 mV. Cells equilibrated in nitrate had the same PD as those in control Ringer. These results indicate that the PD is sensitive to changes in the external chloride concentration and that nitrate can substitute for chloride electrically. However, since the PD for chloride, based on the Nernst equation and calculated on the basis of 70% exchangeability of cell chloride, is three times greater than the measured PD, it is hypothesized that sodium contributes significantly to the membrane potential in addition to chloride. On the other hand, potassium does not influence the PD to any great extent.     

小麦开花期灌水对土壤养分及根系分布的影响

本研究通过分析开花期灌水对小麦产量、植株养分分配和土壤养分分布的影响及其与根系特性的关系,为小麦充分利用水肥资源提供理论支撑。以抗旱高产品种‘洛麦28'和高光效品种‘百农207'为材料,采用2 m深土柱栽培方法,设置开花期灌水(T₁)和开花期不灌水(T₂)两个水分处理,测定了不同组织器官、不同土层土壤氮、磷、钾含量及根系分布特性等指标。结果表明: 小麦收获期土壤中铵态氮、速效磷和速效钾主要分布在0～80 cm土层中,硝态氮主要分布在80 cm以下土层中,开花期灌水促进小麦吸收0～60 cm土层的铵态氮、速效磷、速效钾和80 cm以下土层的硝态氮,减少了硝态氮向深层土壤的淋溶;小麦根系主要集中在0～60 cm土层中,随土壤深度的增加而减少。成熟期干物质积累量、全氮和全磷主要分配在小麦籽粒中,而全钾主要分配在茎秆中;开花期灌水显著增加了小麦百粒重,提高了小麦产量;根系形态指标与土壤硝态氮在0～40 cm土层中呈显著负相关,与土壤铵态氮在80～100 cm土层中呈极显著正相关,与土壤速效磷在0～100 cm土层中呈显著正相关。开花期灌水促进了根系在小麦生育末期对土壤养分的充分吸收,延长了养分从营养器官向生殖器官的转运功能期,使营养器官中的养分充分地转运到籽粒中去,增加小麦粒重,进而提高产量。     

The significance of root development of spinach and kohlrabi for N fertilization

N fertilizer recommendatons are based on the N_min content in the useable soil layer. However, for spinach, information from the literature differs for both depth of useable soil layer and N fertilizer recommendations. The objectives of these experiments were to study the importance of different soil zones for N supply to spinach and to kohlrabi, and to examine the relationship between N supply in the useable soil layer and yield of spinach. Field experiments with both crops showed that about 80% of total root length was in the upper 0–15 cm soil layer and less than 5% below 30 cm. Spinach roots were present in the 15–30 cm layer only during the last 2 weeks before harvest, whereas kohlrabi roots penetrated this layer already 4 weeks before harvest. Placement of NO₃ below 30 cm depth did not influence root distribution. The top layer contributed about 80% to total N uptake for both crops. The 15–30 cm soil layer can maximally contribute 40–50 kg N ha^-1. It is concluded that N fertilizer recommendations for both crops should be based on the N_min content of the 0–30 cm soil layer. Maximum yield of spinach (300 dt f.m. ha^-1) was obtained at 150 kg N supply ha^-1. The nitrate residue was 50 kg N ha^-1 at 0–30 cm in this treatment. It is argued that the nitrate residues at harvest could be decreased by delaying the harvest for a few days, at slightly suboptimal N supply.     

Effect of sodium in the nutrient medium on the incidence of potassium-deficiency symptoms in tomato plants

Summary Tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum cv. Amberley Cross) were grown in sand culture and were fed with four concentrations of potassium nitrate in combination with two levels of sodium nitrate. After six weeks the plants were scored for the presence and absence of a symptom of potassium deficiency, namely, marginal chlorosis and/or necrosis in the young, fully-expanded leaves. These leaves were also analysed for K and Na. Marginal chlorosis and/or necrosis occurred in plants given a nutrient solution containing 0.5 meq K/I or less and supplied with either of the sodium nitrate levels. However, the symptoms occurred more frequently in plants receiving the lower level of sodium nitrate. The laminae on plants receiving the lower concentration of sodium nitrate had a 50 per cent incidence of chlorisis and/or necrosis when the tissue potassium content was 0.74 per cent of the dry wt, while those laminae on plants receiving the higher level did not show a 50 per cent incidence until their potassium fell to 0.64 per cent of the dry wt.     

Alleviation of salt-induced stress on seed emergence using soil additives in a greenhouse

Use of sodium chloride (NaCl) as a deicing salt results in high concentrations of ions in roadside soils, which decreases seedling emergence in these areas. Greenhouse experiments performed in soil culture tested the efficacy of three soil fertilizers, gypsum (CaSO₄), potash (potassium chloride, KCl) and potassium nitrate (KNO₃), in alleviating NaCl stress on seedling emergence of three grass species exhibiting a range of salt tolerance, Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), Bouteloua gracilis (blue grama), and Puccinellia distans (alkali grass). Two-factor factorial designs were utilized for each species-fertilizer combination. Treatments of 5000 mg/L (0.086 M) NaCl with or without fertilizer, in concentrations that were equal to 0.5, 1, and 2 times the molar equivalent of 5000 mg/L NaCl were applied biweekly. Salt stress on Poa pratensis emergence was alleviated by all fertilizers with CaSO₄ having the greatest effect in alleviating NaCl stress and potash and potassium nitrate alleviating stress at lower treatment levels. Emergence of Bouteloua gracilis and Puccinellia distans was in most cases negatively effected by soil amendments.