Algal Population Growth Model Integrated with Toxicokinetics for Ecological Risk Assessment under Time-Varying Pesticide Exposure

An algal population growth model integrated with toxicokinetics was developed for assessing the effect of pesticides on population dynamics. This model is a simple one-compartment, first-order kinetic model in which toxicity (growth inhibition and mortality) depends on the intracellular effective concentration of a pesticide at a target site. The model's parameters were derived using an experimental study that investigated the effects of pretilachlor, bensulfuron-methyl, pentoxazone, and quinoclamine on the growth, mortality, and subsequent population recovery of the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata. Modeled and measured trajectories of algal population dynamics agreed well. The effect on population recovery was underestimated by the model that ignored the toxicokinetics. The four tested herbicides had a variety of toxicity characteristics and physicochemical properties, indicating the wide range of the model's applicability. Moreover, the developed model and the obtained model's parameters were extrapolated to predict long-term algal population dynamics under time-varying herbicide exposure. The calculated integral biomass lost compared with the control was considered a quantitative index of the population-level ecological risk. The model's prediction showed that the same exposure level (peak concentration is equivalent to EC50) indicated much different population-level effect depending on the herbicide.     

Inducible nitrate reductase of rice plants as a possible indicator for nitrification in water-logged paddy soils

When following the pattern of the disappearance of NH ₄ ⁺ –N from ammonium sulfate applied to the flooded soil-rice plant system (field and greenhouse experiments) during a growing season, it was observed that the lowest NH ₄ ⁺ –N level coincided with the highest value of NR activity in the leaves. Nitrate was detected in both the root and shoot systems of the rice plants and autotrophic nitrifiers (Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter) were particularly abundant. Since it was also demonstrated in this work that the NR activity of rice plants grown with nitrate fertilization (growth chamber culture experiments) was inducible by its substrate, it can be assumed that NH ₄ ⁺ –N oxidation takes place in the water-logged soil studied. Therefore, the occurrence of the nitrification process following NH ₄ ⁺ –N fertilizer application can be predicted by thein vitro orin situ evaluation of the NR activity of the rice leaf as an indicator.     

Nitrogen mineralization ofSesbania sesban used as green manure for lowland rice in Sri Lanka

Sesbania sesban was evaluated as green manure crop for lowland rice in the Dry Zone of Sri Lanka. The legume was grown during a fallow period before lowland rice (Oryza sativa) and ploughed under just before transplanting. Weight loss and nitrogen content in litterbags containing leaves, stems and roots of the legume were monitored. Comparisons were made between rice yields from 20 m² plots after green manuring in combination with different nitrogen fertilizer levels (0, 2.4, 4.8 and 7.2 gm⁻²) and nitrogen fertilizer (9.6 gm⁻²) alone. Above-ground biomass ofS. sesban was 440 gm⁻² (dry wt) when ploughed under after 84 days growth. N-content in leaves, stems and roots was 3.76%, 0.41% and 0.73%, respectively. This gave a N-input fromS. sesban of 9.2 gm⁻² (8.3 g from above-ground parts and 0.9 g from roots). The corresponding K and P inputs were 7.3 and 0.6 gm⁻² respectively. The nitrogen rich leaves, which contained 88% of the nitrogen in the above-ground parts, decomposed and released its nitrogen much more rapidly than the stems and roots. After only four days the leaves had released 5.3 g Nm⁻² and after 14 days they had released 6.4 g Nm⁻². The highest rice yield (505 gm⁻²) was obtained usingS. sesban and 4.8 gm⁻² of N-fertilizer. The yields with only N-fertilizer or onlyS. sesban were 442 gm⁻² and 396 gm⁻², respectively. Due to the rapid decomposition of the nitrogen rich leaves,S. sesban did not behave as a slow release fertilizer. Thus, it is not necessary to apply nitrogen fertilizers as a basal dose.     

不同利用方式下稻田效益的综合评价

一、引言评价是多目标系统优化和决策的基础。和任何其他农业生态系统一样,稻田生态系统具有多目标、多功能的特点,单项指标难以反映系统的优劣。目前,川东南地区稻田开发利用方式多种多样,但效益评价主要是采用简单的比较分析或粗放的定性描述,尚未形成系统的     

Three-year measurement of methane emission from an Indonesian paddy field

Yearly and seasonal (rainy and dry seasons) variations of CH₄ emission from a Sumatra paddy field were measured for 3 years. The mean CH₄ emission rates during the growth period were in the range of 16.0–26.1 mg CH₄ m^-2 h^-1 for the chemical fertilizer plots and 23.3–34.9 mg CH₄ m^-2 h^-1 for the plots with rice straw application, respectively. The increase in the amounts of CH₄ emission by rice straw application were from 1.3 to 1.6 times. There was no significant difference in the mean CH₄ emission rates between rainy and dry seasons.Total amounts of CH₄ emitted during the period of rice growth were in the ranges of 29.5–48.2 and 43.0–64.6 g CH₄ m^-2 for the plots applied with chemical fertilizer and those with rice straw application, respectively. Nearly the same amounts of CH₄ were emitted in the first and second half of the growth period, irrespective of rice straw application.     

Population ecology of the paddy field-dwelling fish Channa gachua (Günther) (Perciformes, Channidae) in Sri Lanka

A population of Channa gachua in a small irrigation canal that supplies rice fields was studied by monthly sampling over 2 years. The population density was positively correlated with the rainfall and varied from 0.34 to 0.95 individuals m⁻². The growth parameters of the von Bertalanffy growth equation determined on monthly size–frequency data were L_x = 179 mm total length and K =0.50. Overall male to female ratio was 0.82 and there were more females than males in the middle size classes. Spawning occurred throughout the year, but all evidence indicated enhanced breeding during major rainy periods of May to July and October to December. The length at first spawning was 102 mm, which is reached in about 20 months. Fecundity, which varied between 389 and 2130, was positively correlated with gonad weight, body weight and total length. Longevity and natural mortality were estimated as 6 years and l.27 yr⁻¹, respectively. However, 99% of the population appeared to live for only 3 years. The mean biomass, average annual production and turnover ratio of the population were 7.35 g m⁻², 12.06 g m⁻² and 1.64, respectively.     

Nitrogen and carbon fixation byAnabaena sp. isolated from a rice paddy and grown under P and light limitations

Anabaena sp., isolated from a rice paddy, was investigated for its nitrogen fixation as measured by acetylene reduction activity (ARA) in P-limited continuous and light-limited semi-continuous cultures. Growth rate (μ) under P limitation was a function of cell P content (q _p). Both the photosynthetic capacity (P_max) and photosynthetic efficiency (α) increased with μ when expressed per cell, but not per unit chla. The ARA of steady-state cells under P limitation increased with μ and was linearly related to C-fixation rate. This was apparently a consequence of the control of C-fixation by P limitation. In light-limited cells, steady state ARA, both at the culture light intensity and in the dark, increased asymptotically with μ, but the activity in the dark was only about 51% of that in the light. When the light level of steady-state cells grown at a high in intensity was switched to a low level, ARA decreased exponentially with time. Dark ARA activity also showed a similar decline, but at much lower levels. Thus, ARA depended not only on light history, but also immediate photosynthesis. Steady-state ARA at the ambient intensity or in the dark showed a strong correlation with¹⁴C-fixation rate. ARA of light-limited cells showed the same light-saturation characteristics as their¹⁴C-fixation, with the same initial saturation intensity,I _k. The ratios of P_max to the maximum ARA (ARA_max), and α to the slope of ARA (α_ara) were identical. A comparison of gross to net photosynthesis and N₂ fixation suggested that there was little leakage or excretion of fixed C or N.     

有机物料还田对双季稻田土壤有机碳及其活性组分的影响

有机物料还田是提升农田土壤有机碳、培肥土壤的重要措施。为探讨不同有机物料的还田效果,采用室外培养方法,研究了在等碳输入条件下,施用水稻秸秆、紫云英、生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭对洞庭湖双季稻区潮土有机碳和活性有机碳组分含量的影响。结果表明: 经过180 d的培养试验,与不施用有机物料相比,施用有机物料提高了土壤活性有机碳含量。生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭处理分别使土壤有机碳含量显著提升了26.1%、9.7%和30.7%,水稻秸秆和紫云英对土壤有机碳含量的提升效应在试验期间并不显著。水稻秸秆和紫云英还田更有利于土壤可溶性有机碳和微生物生物量碳的积累,猪粪更有利于土壤可溶性有机碳的积累,生物有机肥更有利于土壤微生物生物量碳和易氧化有机碳的积累,水稻秸秆生物炭则更有利于土壤微生物生物量碳和轻组有机碳的积累。与水稻秸秆还田相比,紫云英、生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭还田使土壤碳库管理指数分别提高了31.8%、111.6%、62.2%和50.7%。从土壤固碳和土壤碳库管理指数来看,生物有机肥、猪粪和水稻秸秆生物炭的还田效果优于水稻秸秆和紫云英还田。     

Long-term tillage effects on soil organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon in a purple paddy soil of Southwest China

The impact of conservation tillage practices on soil carbon has been of great interest in recent years. Conservation tillage might have the potential to enhance soil carbon accumulation and alter the depth distribution of soil carbon compared to conventional tillage based systems. Changes in the soil organic carbon (SOC) as influenced by tillage, are more noticeable under long-term rather than short-term tillage practices. The objective of this study was to determine the impacts of long-term tillage on SOC and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) status after 19 years of four tillage treatments in a Hydragric Anthrosol. In this experiment four tillage systems included conventional tillage with rotation of rice and winter fallow system (CTF), conventional tillage with rotation of rice and rape system (CTR), no-till and ridge culture with rotation of rice and rape system (NT) and tillage and ridge culture with rotation of rice and rape system (TR). Soils were sampled in the spring of 2009 and sectioned into 0–10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50 and 50–60 cm depth, respectively.Tillage effect on SOC was observed, and SOC concentrations were much larger under NT than the other three tillage methods in all soil depths from 0 to 60 cm. The mean SOC concentration at 0–60 cm soil depth followed the sequence: NT (22.74 g kg^?1) > CTF (14.57 g kg^?1) > TR (13.10 g kg^?1) > CTR (11.92 g kg^?1). SOC concentrations under NT were significantly higher than TR and CTR (P < 0.01), and higher than CTF treatment (P < 0.05). The SOC storage was calculated on equivalent soil mass basis. Results showed that the highest SOC storage at 0–60 cm depth presented in NT, which was 158.52 Mg C ha^?1, followed by CTF (106.74 Mg C ha^?1), TR (93.11 Mg C ha^?1) and CTR (88.60 Mg C ha^?1). Compared with conventional tillage (CTF), the total SOC storage in NT increased by 48.51%, but decreased by 16.99% and 12.77% under CTR and TR treatments, respectively. The effect of tillage on DOC was significant at 0–10 cm soil layer, and DOC concentration was much higher under CTF than the other three treatments (P < 0.01). Throughout 0–60 cm soil depth, DOC concentrations were 32.92, 32.63, 26.79 and 22.10 mg kg^?1 under NT, CTF, CTR and TR, and the differences among the four treatments were not significant (P > 0.05). In conclusion, NT increased SOC concentration and storage compared to conventional tillage operation but not for DOC.     

大豆、玉米与水稻配置对稻田寄生蜂的影响

本文研究了稻田生境和非稻田生境间寄生性天敌的迁移扩散规律及其对水稻主要害虫的控制作用.结果表明,寄生蜂从大豆生境扩散到稻田生境的数量显著高于其从玉米生境扩散到稻田生境,而田埂种植玉米的寄生蜂扩散数量与不种植玉米相比无显著性差异.田埂配置大豆的有机稻田内二化螟Chilo suppressalis、三化螟Tryporyza incertulas、稻纵卷叶螟Cnaphalocrocis medinalis cnienee和褐飞虱Nilaparvata lugens的卵寄生率分别为17.8％,20.3％,10.2％和12.4％,与未配置大豆的对照相比分别增加了4.3％,7.5％,2.1％,和3.4％;它们的幼虫寄生率分别为14.7％,31.7％,21.3％,7.3％,与对照相比分别增加了5.3％,9.8％,5.7％和2.8％.而田埂配置玉米的有机稻田的二化螟,三化螟,稻纵卷叶螟和褐飞虱的卵寄生率分别为10.3％,14.4％,8.6％和9.3％;与未配置玉米的对照相比分别降低了3.2％,增加1.6％,0.5％和0.3％;它们的幼虫寄生率分别为10.3％,19.4％,17.5％和2.6％,与对照相比分别增加了0.9％,降低了2.5％,增加了1.9％和降低了1.9％.研究结果可为通过建立合理的水稻邻作模式进行害虫生物防治提供重要科学依据.