Nodulation studies on legumes exotic to Australia: Hedysarum coronarium

Abstract Symbiotic experiments in glasshouse, controlled environment cabinet, and field were conducted with four lines of sulla ( Hedysarum coronarium ) and 15 strains of Rhizobium spp. This plant is highly Rhizobium -specific and appropriate strains are most unlikely to occur naturally in Australia. Under several sets of experimental conditions, H. coronarium nodulated abundantly and effectively with homologous rhizobia introduced from Spain and Italy. The optimum temperature for nitrogen fixation was relatively low (approx. 21°C) but significant interactions between line of host, strain of rhizobia, and growth temperature were frequent. The rhizobia were persistent in soil.     

Influence of soil gas contamination on tree root growth

Summary Rooted-cuttings and saplings of green ash (Fraxinus lanceolata) and hybrid poplar (Populus spp) were planted on a former municipal refuse landfill and on a nearby nonlandfill control plot. The root systems of four trees of each species and size were excavated on the landfill plot-two growing in an area where the concentrations of anaerobic landfill gases were relatively high and two in a relatively low-gas area. Two trees of each species and size were also excavated on the control. The root systems of both species were significantly shallower on the landfill plot than on the control. Green ash appeared to avoid the adverse gas environment of the deeper soil layers on the landfill by producing adventitious roots. Hybrid poplar became adapted in a different manner, by redirecting root growth from the deepter soil layers to the soil surface.     

Correction of severe manganese deficiency in wheat with chemical fertilizers

Summary Manganese, N and P fertilizers were applied to wheat in field experiments on a soil so deficient in Mn that it caused the wheat to die before heading. Yields of wheat were increased linearly by soil banded Mn to 44.8 kg/ha, giving a yield of 3.03 tonnes/ha. Yields were increased to a lesser extent by foliar-applied Mn and least by soil-broadcasted Mn. Soil N and P appeared to be adequate, yet ammonium sulphate at 56 kg N/ha where applied alone caused a yield of 1.69 tonnes/ha and ammonium sulphate nitrate gave a yield of 0.98 tonnes/ha, the increases being primarily due to the release of Mn to the plants. Calcium nitrate and triple superphosphate were much less effective in releasing Mn.     

Ammonia volatilization after injection of anhydrous ammonia into arable soils of different moisture levels

Laboratory experiments have shown appreciable losses of ammonia after injection of anhydrous ammonia into dry and wet soils. In this study losses of ammonia injected into a moist (tension 10 kPa), dry (tension 160 kPa) and a wet (tension 1.6 kPa) sandy loam were measured under field conditions using wind tunnels. Losses were insignificant from a moist soil. However losses from a dry and a wet soil were 20% and 50% of injected ammonia, respectively. From the dry soil, losses of gaseous ammonia took place within the first hours after injection, which indicates a rapid transport through cracks and voids. From the wet soil, 20% of the injected ammonia was lost more gradually between 6 h and 6 d. This indicates that upward movement of water due to evaporation may be the cause of these ammonia losses which proceeded for longer periods.     

Plant-induced changes in the redox potentials of rice rhizospheres

Redox potentials in microsites of the rhizosphere of flooded rice were continuously measured for several days. Close to the root tips redox potential markedly increased. The highest increase was measured in the rhizosphere of the tips of short lateral roots. Aerobic redox conditions were reached there, except in a very strongly reduced soil. Both the extension of the oxidation zone around the root tips and the maximum redox potential reached were influenced by the reducing capacity of the soil. The radius of the redox rhizosphere varied from less than 1 mm in a strongly reduced soil up to 4 mm in a weakly reduced one. The root-induced oxidation processes in the rhizosphere depended on the atmospheric oxygen supply to the roots.     

Estimating thermal properties of simulated aquatic soils from their composition

Heat penetration and thermal lag in the submersed soil surrounding the roots of aquatic plants depends on two fundamental thermal properties of the substrate, volumetric heat capacity (C_V) and thermal conductivity (k). The relationship of these parameters to the fractions of organic and mineral matter, gas and water in natural and simulated aquatic soils was investigated. The gas fraction was found to be insignificant and it was possible to make good estimates of C_V and k from a knowledge of substrate water content alone.     

若尔盖沙化土地治理土壤微生物群落与功能基因比较研究

【目的】在高寒沙地中建立以赖草和沙生苔草等先锋植物为主的人工草方格,探究其土壤微生物群落动态变化以及养分循环过程。【方法】采用宏基因组测序和qPCR方法进行土壤微生物群落结构组成分析、功能基因注释和绝对丰度测定,并结合土壤理化因子数据进行冗余分析。【结果】人工建立草方格后,沙地土壤中全氮、速效磷以及有机碳含量分别提高了20%-68%、10%-247%、19%-56%;细菌和真菌的群落数量分别提高了17%-81%和2%-95%,与植物促生长相关的鞘氨醇单胞菌属(Sphingomonas)、慢生根瘤菌属(Bradyrhizobium)、硝化螺旋菌属(Nitrospira)、Solirubrobacter属和类诺卡氏菌属(Nocardioides)等细菌种类的相对丰度呈上升趋势;氮循环中与氨氧化和亚硝酸盐氧化相关的amoCAB基因簇和nxrAB基因簇显著富集,发现了完全氨氧化的基因标志。【结论】人工建立草方格有效提升了高寒沙地土壤养分和微生物群落数量,促进了养分循环。适度放牧可以增加沙地生态系统的氮汇扩散性,有助于本土先锋植物定植,为今后在同等高海拔地区采取沙地生态修复措施提供理论参考。     

Rhizosphere soil bacterial communities and nitrogen cycling affected by deciduous and evergreen tree species

Deciduous and evergreen trees differ in their responses to drought and nitrogen (N) demand. Whether or not these functional types affect the role of the bacterial community in the N cycle during drought remains uncertain. Two deciduous tree species (Alnus cremastogyne, an N₂‐fixing species, and Liquidambar formosana) and two evergreen trees (Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana) were used to assess factors in controlling rhizosphere soil bacterial community and N cycling functions. Photosynthetic rates and biomass production of plants, 16S rRNA sequencing and N‐cycling‐related genes of rhizosphere soil were measured. The relative abundance of the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes was higher, and that of Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimondaetes was lower in rhizosphere soil of deciduous trees than that of evergreen. Beta‐diversity of bacterial community also significantly differed between the two types of trees. Deciduous trees showed significantly higher net photosynthetic rates and biomass production than evergreen species both at well water condition and short‐term drought. Root biomass was the most important factor in driving soil bacterial community and N‐cycling functions than total biomass and aboveground biomass. Furthermore, 44 bacteria genera with a decreasing response and 46 taxa showed an increased response along the root biomass gradient. Regarding N‐cycle‐related functional genes, copy numbers of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and autotrophic ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA), N₂ fixation gene (nifH), and denitrification genes (nirK, nirS) were significantly higher in the soil of deciduous trees than in that of the evergreen. Structural equation models explained 50.2%, 47.6%, 48.6%, 49.4%, and 37.3% of the variability in copy numbers of nifH, AOB, AOA, nirK, and nirS, respectively, and revealed that root biomass had significant positive effects on copy numbers of all N‐cycle functional genes. In conclusion, root biomass played key roles in affecting bacterial community structure and soil N cycling. Our findings have important implications for our understanding of plants control over bacterial community and N‐cycling function in artificial forest ecosystems.     

水土保持林土壤改良效益评价研究

森林效益评价是目前林业研究的热点,也是难点问题,通过评价水土保持林土壤改良效益,对效益评价的方法和思路进行了探索。指出水土保持林土壤改良效益指标体系的总目标层为效益评价综合指数,准则层包括土壤肥力、抗蚀性能和抗冲性能３个方面,指标层由水稳性团聚体含量、有机质含量、土壤酶活性、ｐＨ值、平均重量直径、团聚度、分散率、土壤硬度和渗透系数构成。在计算效益评价综合指数时,首先要对各项指标的实测数据进行处理,     

长期不同养分投入对土壤养分和水稻生产持续性的影响

以中国科学院桃源农业生态试验站15a长期田间定位试验为研究对象,分析了不同养分投入对稻田土壤养分和水稻产量可持续性的影响.结果表明,化肥与系统内循环的有机物料循环的肥力效力和产量效应基本一致,有机物料循环更有利于土壤有机质和氮素的积累;在不同养分投入下,土壤耕层有机质和全氮均呈上升趋势,年均增长率分别为1.5%～5.8%和2.5%～9.4%;与试验前相比,不同养分投入耕层磷素变动幅度在-18.3%到30%之间,钾素养分有所亏缺,下降幅度在8.1%～22.6%之间;通过可持续性指数的分析得出,土壤N素养分的可持续性对化肥的依赖性较大,而P、K养分的可持续性则对有机肥的依赖性更高.稻田生态系统具有良好的自维持能力,系统内有机物循环有利于提高稻谷产量的稳定性和可持续性.