The development and effects of nitrogen deficiency in field-grown kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) vines

The development and effects of nitrogen (N) deficiency in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa Hayward) vines planted at three densities (25.0, 12.5 and 8.33 m² vine^–1) were examined in a long term (1982 to 1989) field experiment in which N was applied at rates from 0 to 200 kg N ha^–1 year^–1. The rate of applied N significantly affected leaf N concentrations every year from 1985 onwards, and the average leaf N concentrations declined throughout the experiment. Fruit N concentrations varied significantly with the level of applied N as early as 1986. The average fruit N concentrations varied strongly between years, and were inversely proportional to the fruit number (per m²), indicating that, after fruit set, growth of individual fruit was relatively insensitive to the vine N status. Effects of N supply on fruit yields resulted mostly from changes in fruit number (per m²). For vines planted at the high density, fruit yields responded significantly to the level of applied N each season from 1986 onwards. In any year, maximum fruit yields for vines planted at the high density were associated with leaf N concentrations (20 weeks after bud burst) of at least 1.8 mmol g^–1. For vines planted at low density, significant yield responses to the level of applied N were not recorded until 1988, and maximum yields in that year were associated with leaf N concentrations of at least 1.4 mmol g^–1. The delayed expression of effects of N deficiency on fruit yields for vines planted at low density appeared to follow a shift in partitioning of resources in favour of fruit growth. This shift in partitioning did not appear to be sustainable, and by 1989 the fruit yield response to applied N continued to the highest N level tested. In that year, the leaf N concentration associated with maximum yield was 1.8 mmol g^–1, the same as that recorded throughout the experiment for the vines planted at high density. In the last two seasons of the experiment, leaf necrosis developed extensively on vines receiving less than the highest rate of N. This necrosis appeared to be premature senescence resulting from N deficiency. Leaf chloride (Cl) concentrations increased significantly with increasing severity of N deficiency, but were never more than those associated with Cl toxicity. While N supply significantly affected fruit firmness immediately post-harvest, there were no significant effects on fruit firmness after 12–20 weeks storage.     

Influence of Temperature on the Virulence of Two Races of Meloidogyne chitwoodi on Wheat and Barley

Races of the Columbia root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne chitzooodi, from Idaho (R1) and Utah (R2) suppressed (P < 0.05) tillering of Dusty winter wheat, Fielder spring wheat, Luther winter barley, and Steptoe spring barley at 15-30 C. Nematode inoculum density was negatively correlated with tillering (r = -0.79). Inoculum densities of both nematode races were negatively correlated with heads per plant (r = -0.83), head length (r = -0.87), and head dry weight (r = 0.73) of Fielder spring wheat and Steptoe spring barley at all temperatures; the greatest growth restrictions occurred at Pi 20 eggs/cm³ soil. Both nematode races were most damaging at 25-30 C. Fielder spring wheat and Steptoe spring barley inoculated with R2 produced fewer heads than R1 when inoculated at 15 C, whereas the same cultivars inoculated with R1 produced fewer heads than R2 at 30 C. No differences were observed between root growth of winter and spring wheat or between winter and spring barley. Nematode reproduction was positively correlated to temperature (r = 0.87) and negatively correlated with inoculum density (r = -0.86). Reproductive rates were greatest with Pi = 2 eggs/cm³ soil at 25 C and lowest with Pi = 20 eggs/cm³ soil at 15 C for both nematode races.     

Distribution of15N in the soil-plant system during a four-year field lysimeter study with barley (Hordeum distichum L.) and perennial meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.)

An annual cereal, barley, and a perennial grass ley, meadow fescue, were grown in field lysimeters in Sweden and fertilized with 12 and 20g Ca(NO₃)₂-N m⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively. Isotope-labeled (¹⁵N) fertilizer was added during year 1 of the study, whereafter similar amounts of unlabeled N were added during years 2 and 3. The grass ley lysimeters were ploughed after the growing season of year 3 and sown with barley during year 4. The barley harvest in year 1 removed 59% of the added fertilizer N, while the fertilizer N export by two meadow fescue harvests in year 1 was 65%. The labeled N export decreased rapidly after year 1, especially in the barley, but increased slightly after ploughing of the grass ley. The microbial biomass, measured with the chloroform fumigation method, incorporated a maximum of 1.4–1.7% of the labeled N during the first seven weeks after application. Later on, the incorporation stabilized at less than 1% in both cropping systems. The susceptibility of the residual labeled N to mineralization was evaluated three years after application by means of long-term laboratory incubations. The curves of cumulative mineralized N were described by a two-component first-order regression model that differentiated between an available and a more recalcitrant fraction of potentially mineralizable N. There was no difference in the amounts of potentially mineralizable N between the cropping systems. The labeled N comprised 5 and 2% of the amounts of potentially mineralizable N in the available and more recalcitrant fraction, respectively. The mineralization rate constants for the labeled N were almost twice as high as for the total potentially mineralizable N. The available fraction of the total potentially mineralizable N was 12%, while twice that proportion of the labeled N was available. It was concluded that the short-term ley did not differ from the annual crop with respect to the early disposition of the fertilizer N and the behaviour of the residual organic N.     

Interactions of water,mulch and nitrogen on sorghum in Niger

We tested the hypothesis that plants only stimulate net mineralization of N when intense competition for N exists between plants and heterotrophs. Nitrogen mineralization in the soil used was insensitive to the range of moisture fluctuations that were inevitable during plant growth. Pots were planted to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or left unplanted and received no straw, straw added in one central layer, or straw added uniformly through the whole soil volume. Through the addition of¹⁵ N-labelled nitrate, initial soil inorganic N was increased to 17 g g^–1 in unplanted treatments and to 17 g g^–1 and 72 g g^–1 in planted treatments. Straw addition increased microbial immobilization of labelled N (soil inorganic N at planting), but did not reduce net mineralization of unlabelled soil N (soil organic N at planting), indicating that straw decomposers immobilized N early in the growth period. Plant growth did not reduce immobilization of N by straw decomposers. Net mineralization of N was not affected by plant growth at the low rate of N addition, but was reduced at the high rate of N addition. We conclude that the influence of wheat growth on net mineralization of N depends on soil N availability, with reductions in net mineralization at high N levels due to increased immobilization.     

Efficacy of imidacloprid for control of cereal leaf beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in barley

The toxicity of imidacloprid to the cereal leaf beetle, Oulema melanopus (L.), was measured under laboratory and field conditions. Insect mortality and plant damage were determined from artificial and natural infestations of O. melanopus applied to various growth stages of barley. All rates of imidacloprid formulated and applied as a seed treatment caused >90% mortality to cereal leaf beetle larvae when barley was infested with eggs at the 4-leaf stage, but were ineffective when barley was infested with eggs at the early tillering or flag-leaf stages of barley. This window of susceptibility influenced results obtained in field trials where peak larval emergence did not occur until the early tillering stage of barley. The resulting mortality in plants from treated seeds never exceeded 40% in the field. Foliar imidacloprid, however, caused >90% mortality in the field, and may be another option in the management of the cereal leaf beetle.     

Living plant cells released from the root cap: A regulator of microbial populations in the rhizosphere?

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. ‘Onda’) plants were grown in nutrient solutions supplied either 0 (no Ni added), 0.6, or 1.0 μM NiSO₄. Plants supplied 0 μM Ni developed Ni deficiency symptoms; Ni deficiency resulted in the disruption of nitrogen metabolism, and affected the concentration of malate and various inorganic anions in roots, shoots, and grain of barley. The concentrations of 10 of the 11 soluble amino acids determined were 50–200% higher in 30-day-old shoots of plants supplied inadequate Ni levels than in shoots of Ni-supplied plants. The total concentration of all amino acids determined was higher in roots and grain of Ni-deficient plants. Concentrations of NO₃ ^- and Cl^- were also higher in Ni-deficient barley shoots than in Ni-sufficient barley shoots. In contrast, the concentration of alanine in shoots of Ni-deficient barley was reduced to one-third of the concentration in Ni-sufficient plants. The shoot concentrations of malate and SO₄ ^2- were also depressed under Ni-deficient conditions. Total nitrogen concentration in grain, but not in shoots, of Ni-deficient plants was significantly increased over that found in Ni-adequate plants. Nickel deficiency results in marked disruptions of N metabolism, malate and amino acid concentrations in barley. These results are discussed in view of the possible roles of Ni in plants. Supported, in part, by an ITT International Fellowship awarded to PHB and administered by the Institute for International Education, United Nations Plaza, New York, NY. This research was part of the program of the Center for Root-Soil Research. Supported, in part, by an ITT International Fellowship awarded to PHB and administered by the Institute for International Education, United Nations Plaza, New York, NY. This research was part of the program of the Center for Root-Soil Research.     

减氮配施稻秆生物炭对稻田土壤养分及植株氮素吸收的影响

通过2018年早稻和晚稻田间试验,研究化学氮肥减量及配施稻秆生物炭对稻田土壤养分特性及植株氮素吸收的影响。试验包括6个处理:不施氮(CK)、常规施氮(N₁₀₀)、减氮20%(N₈₀)、减氮20%配施生物炭(N₈₀+BC)、减氮40%(N₆₀)、减氮40%配施生物炭(N₆₀+BC)。结果表明: 与常规施氮相比,单纯减氮20%和40%或配施生物炭对早晚稻不同生育期土壤pH、有机质、全氮、铵态氮、全磷、有效磷、全钾、速效钾无显著影响;减氮20%配施生物炭显著增加晚稻分蘖期的土壤阳离子交换量(CEC),而减氮40%配施生物炭则显著增加晚稻抽穗期的电导率(EC)值。与单纯减氮相比,N₈₀+BC的土壤速效钾含量在早晚稻抽穗期均显著升高,土壤pH值、全氮在晚稻成熟期显著增加;N₆₀+BC的土壤全钾含量在早稻成熟期显著升高。不同处理早稻土壤硝态氮含量随生育进程逐渐降低,与分蘖期相比,抽穗期和成熟期的常规施氮土壤硝态氮含量分别降低50.0%和71.6%,而配施生物炭处理则降低6.3%～45.5%,减氮配施生物炭显著降低了硝态氮的流失。在晚稻抽穗期,减氮配施生物炭植株吸氮量显著高于常规施氮和单纯减氮,增加幅度为34.8%～52.4%。综上,适度的减氮或配施稻秆生物炭能有效保持土壤养分,促进水稻对氮素的吸收,提高氮素利用率。     

Barley response to nitrogen and non-nutritional benefits of legume green manure

Green manure application may benefit subsequent crops not only by improving nitrogen (N) fertility but also via non-nutritional mechanisms. The quantification of the latter effect, however, is complicated by the confounding effect of N fertility. Two experiments were conducted in controlled environments to partition the yield response of barley to green manure between N and non-nutritional effects. Each experiment included a factorial of fertilizer N application rates and green manure application rates. The fertilizer was labelled with ¹⁵N to facilitate discrimination between N sources. Approximately 24% of the N applied in green manure was assimilated by barley after 45 days (Experiment 1) and 32% was recovered by barley grown to maturity (Experiment 2). Apparent recovery of green manure-N by barley was not appreciably affected by fertilizer application. Regression analysis of the relationship between dry matter yield and plant N uptake demonstrated that yield responses to green manure application were not entirely attributable to improved N fertility. For a given amount of N assimilated by the crop, yields were higher in green manure-amended treatments than in those receiving no green manure. In barley grown to maturity, barley response to N and non-nutritional effects were estimated to be 5.3 and 2.2g pot⁻¹, respectively. The relationship between dry matter yield and N uptake is suggested as a method for distinguishing nutritional and non-nutritional yield responses. This approach assumes that no other nutrient is limiting growth. The presence of non-nutritional benefits observed in this study demonstrates that the agronomic value of green manure is not limited to N release and casts doubt on the assumptions inherent to calculation of fertilizer equivalents. Contribution 3879132 Contribution 3879132     

Plant development,and N and P use of winter barley

Winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Kamiak) was grown at three landscape positions of a representative toposequence in the Palouse region of eastern Washington. This region is typified by rolling topography marked by severe erosion of steep slope positions that has altered soil productivity in the landscape. The objectives of this research were to identify soil factors which limit plant development and nutrient use efficiency in the eroded slope positions, and to suggest potential management practices for overcoming these limitations. Direct drilling into cereal stubble resulted in retardation of early plant development of winter barley. Lower N and P accumulation by early tillering under no-till conditions were related these effects on dry matter. These reductions were generally overcome by anthesis. Comparison of tillage systems demonstrated that direct drilling into crop residues increased yields by 16% over conventional tillage at an eroded ridgetop position of one of the two toposequences examined. Benefits derived in the no-till system under the high N rates occurred during grainfilling, as indicated by greater numbers of heads and higher kernel weights at final harvest. Tillage system had no effect on grain production at other landscape positions that featured higher overall yields under either tillage system. Short-term benefits of no-till systems may be most evident at slope positions where water use is most limited.     

The fate of labelled15N urea and ammonium nitrate applied to a winter wheat crop

Labelled urea or ammonium nitrate was applied to winter wheat growing on a loamy soil in Northern France. Two applications of fertilizer were given: 50 kg N ha^–1 at tillering (early March) and 110 kg N ha^–1 at the beginning of stem elongation (mid-April). The kinetics of urea hydrolysis, nitrification of ammonium and the disappearance of inorganic nitrogen were followed at frequent intervals. Inorganic nitrogen soon disappeared, mainly immobilized by soil microflora and absorbed by the crop. Net immobilization of fertilizer N occured at a very similar rate for urea and ammonium nitrate. Maximum immobilization (16 kg N ha¹) was found at harvest for the first dressing and at anthesis for the second dressing (23 kg N ha¹). During the nitrification period, the labelled ammonium pool was immobilized two to three times faster than the labelled nitrate pool. No significant net¹⁵N remineralization was found during the growth cycle.The actual denitrification and volatilization losses were probably more important than indicated from calculations made by extrapolation of fluxes measured over short intervals. However microbial immobilization was the most important of the processes which compete with plant uptake for nitrogen.     

Fertilizer nitrogen budgets of 15N-labelled sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris) tops and Na 15NO3 dressings split-applied to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) in microplots on a loam soil

The fate of N from sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.) tops returned to the soil (50 T ha^-1) in autumn 1986 before sowing winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and from NaNO₃ split-applied in 3 equal dressings (at tillering, stem elongation and flag leaf stages) was studied using isotopically labelled ¹⁵N in open stainless-steel cylinders pressed into the soil.At harvest, the percentage utilization (PU) of N from sugarbeet was very low (6.66%) and negatively influenced by fertilizer N (5.59%), while that of fertilizer N was rather high (69.64%) and unchanged by addition of tops. Residual N in soil represented 25.9% of the amount applied in tops and ranged from 33% for the tillering application to 21% for the flag leaf application. N losses (mainly denitrification) from sugar beet tops amounted to 67% and were very low for mineral fertilizer (less than 5%).     

氮磷添加对内蒙古温带草原植物功能群氮含量的影响

植物功能群氮含量既是理解氮沉降对生物多样性影响的关键指标,也是生产力过程模型模拟的重要参数,极易受氮素可利用性的影响和磷元素的限制。基于内蒙古温带草原4年氮磷添加试验(N10、N40、P5、P10及其交互,数字代表添加剂量,单位为g m^-2 a^-1),分析氮磷添加对植物群落及三种植物功能群(禾本科、灌木和杂类草)氮含量的影响。结果表明:(1)氮添加显著增加了群落及各功能群的氮含量,同一处理水平下禾本科(N10)和灌木(N10和N40)的氮含量显著高于杂类草,同一功能群不同氮添加剂量间无显著差异;(2)磷添加对群落和三种功能群的氮含量无显著影响;(3)与单独氮添加相比,氮磷同时添加显著增加了群落、禾本科和杂类草氮含量,且高剂量氮磷添加的促进作用更大;(4)与单独氮添加相比,氮磷同时添加显著增加群落和三种功能群磷含量而降低氮磷比,相同处理水平下禾本科和杂类草磷含量增加幅度最大。本研究将为草原生态系统管理和应对全球变化提供科学依据。     

Dosage and duration effects of nitrogen additions on ectomycorrhizal sporocarp production and functioning: an example from two N‐limited boreal forests

1. Although it is well known that nitrogen (N) additions strongly affect ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal community composition, less is known about how different N application rates and duration of N additions affect the functional role EM fungi play in the forest N cycle.
2. We measured EM sporocarp abundance and species richness as well as determined the δ¹⁵N in EM sporocarps and tree foliage in two Pinus sylvestris forests characterized by short- and long-term N addition histories and multiple N addition treatments. After 20 and 39 years of N additions, two of the long-term N addition treatments were terminated, thereby providing a unique opportunity to examine the temporal recovery of EM sporocarps after cessation of high N loading.
3. In general, increasing N availability significantly reduced EM sporocarp production, species richness, and the amount of N retained in EM sporocarps. However, these general responses were strongly dependent on the application rate and duration of N additions. The annual addition of 20 kg·N·ha⁻¹ for the past 6 years resulted in a slight increase in the production and retention of N in EM sporocarps, whereas the addition of 100 kg·N·ha⁻¹·yr⁻¹ during the same period nearly eliminated EM sporocarps. In contrast, long-term additions of N at rates of ca. 35 or 70 kg·N·ha⁻¹·yr⁻¹ for the past 40 years did not eliminate tree carbon allocation to EM sporocarps, although there was a decrease in the abundance and a shift in the dominant EM sporocarp taxa. Despite no immediate recovery, EM sporocarp abundance and species richness approached those of the control 20 years after terminating N additions in the most heavily fertilized treatment, suggesting a recovery of carbon allocation to EM sporocarps after cessation of high N loading.
4. Our results provide evidence for a tight coupling between tree carbon allocation to and N retention in EM sporocarps and moreover highlight the potential use of δ¹⁵N in EM sporocarps as a relative index of EM fungal sink strength for N. However, nitrogen additions at high dosage rates or over long time periods appear to disrupt this feedback, which could have important ramifications on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in these forested ecosystems.

     

Mutations in Barley Row Type Genes Have Pleiotropic Effects on Shoot Branching

Cereal crop yield is determined by different yield components such as seed weight, seed number per spike and the tiller number and spikes. Negative correlations between these traits are often attributed to resource limitation. However, recent evidence suggests that the same genes or regulatory modules can regulate both inflorescence branching and tillering. It is therefore important to explore the role of genetic correlations between different yield components in small grain cereals. In this work, we studied pleiotropic effects of row type genes on seed size, seed number per spike, thousand grain weight, and tillering in barley to better understand the genetic correlations between individual yield components. Allelic mutants of nine different row type loci (36 mutants), in the original spring barley varieties Barke, Bonus and Foma and introgressed in the spring barley cultivar Bowman, were phenotyped under greenhouse and outdoor conditions. We identified two main mutant groups characterized by their relationships between seed and tillering parameters. The first group comprises all mutants with an increased number of seeds and significant change in tiller number at early development (group 1a) or reduced tillering only at full maturity (group 1b). Mutants in the second group are characterized by a reduction in seeds per spike and tiller number, thus exhibiting positive correlations between seed and tiller number. Reduced tillering at full maturity (group 1b) is likely due to resource limitations. In contrast, altered tillering at early development (groups 1a and 2) suggests that the same genes or regulatory modules affect inflorescence and shoot branching. Understanding the genetic bases of the trade-offs between these traits is important for the genetic manipulation of individual yield components.     

Temporal and spatial distribution of roots and competition for nitrogen in pea-barley intercrops – a field study employing 32P technique

Root system dynamics, productivity and N use were studied in inter- and sole crops of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) on a temperate sandy loam. A ³²P tracer placed at a depth of 12.5, 37.5, 62.5 or 87.5 cm was employed to determine root system dynamics by sampling crop leaves at 0, 15, 30 and 45 cm lateral distance. ¹⁵N addition was used to estimate N₂ fixation by pea, using sole cropped barley as reference crop. The Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), which is defined as the relative land area under sole crops that is required to produce the yields achieved in intercropping, were used to compare the crop growth in intercrops relative to the respective sole crops.The ³²P appearance in leaves revealed that the barley root system grows faster than that of pea. P uptake by the barley root system during early growth stages was approximately 10 days ahead of that of the pea root system in root depth and lateral root distribution. More than 90% of the P uptake by the pea root system was confined to the top 12.5 cm of soil, whereas barley had about 25–30% of tracer P uptake in the 12.5 – 62.5 cm soil layer. Judging from this P uptake, intercropping caused the barley root system to grow deeper and faster lateral root development of both species was observed. Barley accumulated similar amounts of aboveground N when grown as inter- and sole crop, whereas the total aboveground N acquired by pea in the intercrop was only 16% of that acquired in the pea sole crop. The percentage of total aboveground N derived from N₂ fixation in sole cropped pea increased from 40% to 80% during the growth period, whereas it was almost constant at 85% in intercropped pea. The total amounts of N₂ fixed were 95 and 15 kg N ha^–1 in sole cropped and intercropped pea, respectively. Barley was the dominant component of the pea-barley intercrop, obtaining 90% of its sole crop yield, while pea produced only 15% of the grains of a sole crop pea. Intercropping of pea and barley improved the utilization of plant growth resources (LER > 1) as compared to sole crops. Root system distribution in time and space can partly explain interspecific competition. The ³²P methodology proved to be a valuable tool for determining root dynamics in intercropping systems.     

Interspecific Competition for Soil N and its Interaction with N2 Fixation, Leaf Expansion and Crop Growth in Pea–Barley Intercrops

Field experiments were carried out during three successive years to study through a dynamic approach the competition for soil N and its interaction with N₂ fixation, leaf expansion and crop growth in pea–barley intercrops. The intensity of competition for soil N varied between experiments according to soil N supply and plant densities. This study demonstrates the key role of competition for soil N which occurs early in the crop cycle and greatly influences the subsequent growth and final performance of both species. Relative yield values for grain yield and N accumulation increased with the intensity of competition for soil N. Barley competed strongly for soil N in the intercrop. Its competitive ability increased steadily during the vegetative phase and remained constant after the beginning of pea flowering. The period of strong competition for soil N (500–800 degree-days after sowing) also corresponded to the period of rapid growth in leaf area for both species and therefore an increasing N demand. For each species, the leaf area per plant at the beginning of pea flowering was well correlated with crop nitrogen status. Barley may meet its N needs more easily in intercrops (IC) and has greater leaf area per plant than in sole crops (SC). Barley having a greater soil N supply results in an even higher crop N status and greater competitive ability relative to pea in intercrop. Competition by barley for soil N increased the proportion of pea N derived from fixation. The nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) values of pea were close to 1 whatever the soil N availability in contrast to barley. However N₂ fixation started later than soil N uptake of pea and barley and was low when barley was very competitive for soil N. Due to the time necessary for the progressive development and activity of nodules, N₂ fixation could not completely satisfy N demand at the beginning of the crop cycle. The amount of N₂ fixed per plant in intercrops was not only a response to soil N availability but was largely determined by pea growth and was greatly affected when barley was too competitive.     

Tissue analyses guidelines for diagnosing sulfur deficiency in white wheat

Summary Visual identification of S deficiency in white wheat is difficult since deficiency symptoms are nearly identical with those of N deficiency. In this study, S deficiency was best identified by determining the total N/S ratio rather than S concentration in vegetative tissue. Vegetative growth generally decreased from tillering to boot when the whole plant N/S ratio exceeded 17. The N/S ratio in S-sufficient plants declined gradually with age, implying that the critical N/S ratio may decline with advancing growth. Changes in stem: leaf ratio could have been responsible for the decline since the N/S ratio in stem tissue at heading was less than that of green leaf tissue.Sulphur concentration less reliably indicated S-deficiency, because differences in S levels between S-deficient and S-sufficient wheat, were often less than year-to-year variation of S concentration of plants sampled at the same growth stage. In addition, S concentration in whole plants declined sharply between tillering and heading. These factors make it difficult to designate a critical S level. Sulfur distribution among various plant organs suggests that critical S levels might best be obtained by utilizing green leaf tissue.Nitrogen concentration in S-sufficient wheat plants also decreased quite rapidly with growth, which indicates a similar difficulty for determining critical N percentages. Consequently, the most reliable distinction between N and S deficiency in wheat was accomplished by evaluation of the total N/S ratio in whole plant tissue.Contribution from the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, in cooperation with the Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University. Technical Paper No.3953 of the latter.     

Soil conditions and regeneration after clear felling of a Pinus sylvestris L. stand in a nitrogen experiment,Central Sweden

Forest N fertilization is a common practice in areas of Sweden that are not affected by high levels of N deposition. The environmental consequences of high N input to closed forests are fairly well known, but the long-term effects following clear-felling are a lot less well known. Thus, residual effects on soil and planted seedlings of previous N additions at an experimental N gradient 11 years after clear-felling were studied at a naturally nutrient-poor forest site in central Sweden. The experimental N gradient had been established by three repeated applications (in 1967, 1974 and 1981) of six dosages of NH₄NO₃ with increments of 120 kg N ha^–1. Thus, in total, the applied N dose ranged between 0 and 1800 kg N ha^–1. The study examined extractable base cations and P, soil pH, total-N, total-C, net N-mineralization and potential nitrification in four soil horizons (the humus layer, and 0–5, 5–10 and 10–20 cm in the mineral soil). We also measured the survival and growth of planted Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings. The applied N had no effect on the amounts of extractable-P or base cations in the soil. The soil pH decreased with increasing N dose in the deeper soil horizons, while in the humus the pH showed a weak but statistically significant increase due to the N application. Both total-C and total-N increased as a result of the N application, while the C/N ratio decreased. In the humus layer and the uppermost mineral soil layer NH₄ ⁺ was the major inorganic N source, in contrast to the lowest mineral soil horizon where NO₃ ^– dominated. For most of the studied horizons, there was a positive linear relationship between applied N dose and amount of inorganic N. Both net N-mineralization and potential nitrification showed increases with increasing N dose. As for the plants, no difference in survival or growth was found between the different N treatments. For doses generally applied in forest fertilization no significant differences in any of the studied properties were found.     

Contrasting performance of barley and wheat in a wide range of conditions in Mediterranean Catalonia (Spain)

Despite that the idea of better yield adaptation to low‐yielding conditions of barley than wheat is widespread, there have been few efforts in directly comparing their performance in Mediterranean conditions. We compared wheat and barley regional yields in 41 counties of Catalonia for the period 1992–2004. No differences were clear, particularly at low‐yielding conditions, with a trend for a better wheat performance in relatively high‐yielding environments. We then conducted field experiments during two consecutive seasons, sowing wheat and barley with six levels of nitrogen fertilisation under rainfed conditions (2003–04, experiment I) and two levels of nitrogen fertilisation and two water regimes (rainfed and irrigated) in 2004–05 (experiment II). In experiment I, wheat outyielded barley in treatments that received no N fertiliser (4.58 and 3.60 Mg ha^?1, respectively) indicating that the higher yield potential of wheat was associated with better performance in a condition of relatively low yield. In experiment II, wheat and barley yields were found not to be significantly different across all treatments (2.86 and 2.62 Mg ha^?1, respectively) or in the lowest yielding treatments (1.40 and 1.07 Mg ha^?1, respectively). Therefore, it seems that it may not be universally accepted that under Mediterranean conditions barley would unequivocally behave better than wheat.     

Size-Dependent Variation of Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Abundances in Epiphytic Bromeliads

Abstract: While atmospheric species of bromeliads have narrow leaves, densely covered with water‐absorbing trichomes throughout their life cycles, many tank bromeliads with broad leaves, forming phytotelmata, go through an atmospheric juvenile phase. The effect of the different habits and the phase change in tank‐forming bromeliads on water and nutrient relations was investigated by analysing the relationship between plant size, C/N ratios and the natural abundance of ¹³C and ¹⁵N in five epiphytic bromeliad species or morphospecies of a humid montane forest in Xalapa, Mexico. The atmospheric species Tillandsia juncea and T. butzii exhibited full crassulacean acid metabolism, with δ¹³C values (mean ‐ 15.3 ‰ and ‐ 14.7 ‰, respectively) independent of size. In Tillandsia species with C₃ photosynthesis, δ¹³C decreased with increasing plant size, indicating stronger drought stress in juveniles. The increase of the C/N ratio with size suggests that, at least in heteroblastic bromeliads, the availability of water is more limiting during early growth, and that limitations of nitrogen supply become more important later on, when water stored in the tank helps to bridge dry periods, reducing water shortage. δ¹⁵N values of the two atmospheric species were very negative (‐ 12.6 ‰ and ‐ 12.2 ‰, respectively) and did not change with plant size. Tank‐forming bromeliads had less negative δ¹⁵N values (c ‐ 6 ‰), and, in species with atmospheric juveniles and tank‐forming adults, δ¹⁵N values increased significantly with plant size. These differences do not appear to be an effect of the isotopic composition of N sources, but rather reflect N availability and limitation and stress‐induced changes in ¹⁵N discrimination.