Growth rates of Aporrectodea caliginosa (Oligochaetae: Lumbricidae) as influenced by soil temperature and moisture in disturbed and undisturbed soil columns

Earthworm growth is affected by fluctuations in soil temperature and moisture and hence, may be used as an indicator of earthworm activity under field conditions. There is no standard methodology for measuring earthworm growth and results obtained in the laboratory with a variety of food sources, soil quantities and container shapes cannot easily be compared or used to estimate earthworm growth in the field. The objective of this experiment was to determine growth rates of the endogeic earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny) over a range of temperatures (5–20 °C) and soil water potentials (−5 to−54 kPa) in disturbed and undisturbed soil columns in the laboratory. We used PVC cores (6 cm diameter, 15 cm height) containing undisturbed and disturbed soil, and 1 l cylindrical pots (11 cm diameter, 14 cm height) with disturbed soil. All containers contained about 500 g of moist soil. The growth rates of juvenile A. caliginosa were determined after 14–28 days. The instantaneous growth rate (IGR) was affected significantly by soil moisture, temperature, and the temperature×moisture interaction, ranging from −0.092 to 0.037 d⁻¹. Optimum growth conditions for A. caliginosa were at 20 °C and −5 kPa water potential, and they lost weight when the soil water potential was −54 kPa for all temperatures and also when the temperature was 5 °C for all water potentials. Growth rates were significantly greater in pots than in cores, but the growth rates of earthworms in cores with undisturbed or disturbed soil did not differ significantly. The feeding and burrowing habits of earthworms should be considered when choosing the container for growth experiments in order to improve our ability to extrapolate earthworm growth rates from the laboratory to the field.     

Vermicomposting of sewage sludge: Effect of bulking materials on the growth and reproduction of the earthworm Eisenia andrei

The effect of different residual bulking agents (paper, cardboard, grass clippings, pine needles, sawdust and food wastes) in mixtures with sewage sludge (1:1 dry weight) on the growth and reproduction of Eisenia andrei, Bouché 1972 was studied in smallscale laboratory experiments with batches of sixty earthworms. The maximum weight achieved and the highest growth rate were attained in the mixture with food waste (755±18 mg and 18.6±0.6 mg day⁻¹ respectively) whereas the smallest size and the lowest growth rate was achieved in the mixture of sewage sludge with sawdust (572±18 mg and 11±0.7 mg day⁻¹ respectively). The earthworms showed much higher reproductive rates in the paper and cardboard mixtures (2.82±0.39 and 3.19±0.30 cocoons earthworm⁻¹ week⁻¹ respectively) compared to the control with sewage sludge alone (0.05±0.01 cocoons earthworm⁻¹ week⁻¹).     

Temperature affects microbial decomposition of cadavers (Rattus rattus) in contrasting soils

The ecology of soils associated with dead mammals (i.e. cadavers) is poorly understood. Although temperature and soil type are well known to influence the decomposition of other organic resource patches, the effect of these variables on the degradation of cadavers in soil has received little experimental investigation. To address this, cadavers of juvenile rats (Rattus rattus) were buried in one of three contrasting soils (Sodosol, Rudosol, and Vertosol) from tropical savanna ecosystems in Queensland, Australia and incubated at 29 °C, 22 °C, or 15 °C in a laboratory setting. Cadavers and soils were destructively sampled at intervals of 7 days over an incubation period of 28 days. Measurements of decomposition included cadaver mass loss, carbon dioxide–carbon (CO₂–C) evolution, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), protease activity, phosphodiesterase activity, and soil pH, which were all significantly positively affected by cadaver burial. A temperature effect was observed where peaks or differences in decomposition that at occurred at higher temperature would occur at later sample periods at lower temperature. Soil type also had an important effect on some measured parameters. These findings have important implications for a largely unexplored area of soil ecology and nutrient cycling, which are significant for forensic science, cemetery planning and livestock carcass disposal.     

Soil nitrogen mineralization as affected by water and temperature interactions

Summary The hypothesis that water and temperature interact to influence the rate of soil N mineralization was studied in laboratory incubation experiments with two contrasting soils. Small sample rings (10 mm tall, 50 mm diameter) were packed to uniform bulk density with 1–2 mm aggregates of Plano silt loam and Wacousta silty clay loam. Samples were brought to five different water potentials (–0.1, –0.33, –0.5, –1.0, –3.0 bars) using pressure-plate techniques, and the undisturbed sample rings were then incubated at 10–35°C for 3, 10 or 14 days. The concentration of soil exchangeable NH₄ ⁺-N and NO₃ ^–-N was measured at the end of each incubation period on replicate samples. The Q₁₀ of N mineralization was approximately 2 for all tested water potentials. Soil N mineralization was linearly related to water content or log water potential, but no water-temperature interaction was evident. The Q₁₀ was constant with water content, and the scaled water content-N mineralization relationship was constant with temperature. We recommend the use of scaling approaches for assessing interactive effects between water and other environmental factors on N turnover in soils.     

Interacting effects of temperature, soil moisture and plant biomass production on ecosystem respiration in a northern temperate grassland

Chamber measurements of total ecosystem respiration (TER) in a native Canadian grassland ecosystem were made during two study years with different precipitation. The growing season (April–September) precipitation during 2001 was less than one-half of the 30-year mean (1971–2000), while 2002 received almost double the normal growing season precipitation. As a consequence soil moisture remained higher in 2002 than 2001 during most of the growing season and peak aboveground biomass production (253.9 g m⁻²) in 2002 was 60% higher than in 2001. Maximum respiration rates were approximately 9 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in 2002 while only approximately 5 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in 2001. Large diurnal variation in TER, which occurred during times of peak biomass and adequate soil moisture, was primarily controlled by changes in temperature. The temperature sensitivity coefficient (Q₁₀) for ecosystem respiration was on average 1.83 ± 0.08, and it declined in association with reductions in soil moisture. Approximately 94% of the seasonal and interannual variation in R₁₀ (standardized rate of respiration at 10 °C) data was explained by the interaction of changes in soil moisture and aboveground biomass, which suggested that plant aboveground biomass was good proxy for accounting for variations in both autotrophic and heterotrophic capacity for respiration. Soil moisture was the dominant environmental factor that controlled seasonal and interannual variation in TER in this grassland, when variation in temperature was held constant. We compared respiration rates measured with chambers and that determined from nighttime eddy covariance (EC) measurements. Respiration rates measured by both techniques showed very similar seasonal patterns of variation in both years. When TER was integrated over the entire growing season period, the chamber method produced slightly higher values than the EC method by approximately 4.5% and 13.6% during 2001 and 2002, respectively, much less than the estimated uncertainty for both measurement techniques. The two methods for calculating respiration had only minor effects on the seasonal-integrated estimates of net ecosystem CO₂ exchange and ecosystem gross photosynthesis.     

Interpreting the dependence of soil respiration on soil temperature and water content in a boreal aspen stand

Continuous half-hourly measurements of soil CO₂ efflux made between January and December 2001 in a mature trembling aspen stand located at the southern edge of the boreal forest in Canada were used to investigate the seasonal and diurnal dependence of soil respiration (R_s) on soil temperature (T_s) and water content (θ). Daily mean R_s varied from a minimum of 0.1 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in February to a maximum of 9.2 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ in mid-July. Daily mean T_s at the 2-cm depth was the primary variable accounting for the temporal variation of R_s and no differences between Arrhenius and Q₁₀ response functions were found to describe the seasonal relationship. R_s at 10 °C (R_s10) and the temperature sensitivity of R_s (Q_10Rs) calculated at the seasonal time scale were 3.8 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ and 3.8, respectively. Temperature normalization of daily mean R_s (R_sN) revealed that θ in the 0–15 cm soil layer was the secondary variable accounting for the temporal variation of R_s during the growing season. Daily R_sN showed two distinctive phases with respect to soil water field capacity in the 0–15 cm layer (θ_fc, 0.30 m³ m⁻³): (1) R_sN was strongly reduced when θ decreased below θ_fc, which reflected a reduction in microbial decomposition, and (2) R_sN slightly decreased when θ increased above θ_fc, which reflected a restriction of CO₂ or O₂ transport in the soil profile.Diurnal variations of half-hourly R_s were usually out of phase with T_s at the 2-cm depth, which resulted in strong diurnal hysteresis between the two variables. Daily nighttime R_s10 and Q_10Rs parameters calculated from half-hourly nighttime measurements of R_s and T_s at the 2-cm depth (when there was steady cooling of the soil) varied greatly during the growing season and ranged from 6.8 to 1.6 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ and 5.5 to 1.3, respectively. On average, daily nighttime R_s10 (4.5 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and Q_10Rs (2.8) were higher and lower, respectively, than the values obtained from the seasonal relationship. Seasonal variations of these daily parameters were highly correlated with variations of θ in the 0–15 cm soil layer, with a tendency of low R_s10 and Q_10Rs values at low θ. Overall, the use of seasonal R_s10 and Q_10Rs parameters led to an overestimation of daily ranges of half-hourly R_s (ΔR_s) during drought conditions, which supported findings that the short-term temperature sensitivity of R_s was lower during periods of low θ. The use of daily nighttime R_s10 and Q_10Rs parameters greatly helped at simulating ΔR_s during these periods but did not improve the estimation of half-hourly R_s throughout the year as it could not account for the diurnal hysteresis effect.     

Effect of Changing Temperature on the Deterioration of Soya Beans

Deterioration rates as indicated by carbon dioxide evolution for soya bean (Glycine max L. Merr.) stored under changing temperature conditions were quantified and compared with those predicted using equations. Experiments included soya bean moisture contents of 18, 22, and 26% (wet basis), constant storage temperatures of 15, 20, 25, and 30°C, and cyclical storage temperatures that changed between 15 and 25°C and between 20 and 30°C on a 24 h basis. Also, the growth of micro-organisms was identified after 10 days from the treatments by using the pour plate method.The results indicated an increase in deterioration by increasing storage temperature and moisture content of soya bean. Equations of carbon dioxide weight versus time for each moisture content and storage temperature were fitted. The longest allowable storage time to reach 0·5% dry matter loss (1132 h) occurred at lower moisture content and lower constant storage temperature, while the shortest allowable storage time (170 h) occurred at higher moisture content and higher constant storage temperature. The allowable storage times for soya bean stored under cyclical temperatures were close to the allowable storage time for soya bean stored at a constant temperature equal to the average cyclical temperature. Microbial infection levels increased with increasing storage temperature and moisture content. The increasing rate of micro-organism growth decreased by increasing the storage temperature over 25°C. However, this increasing rate of micro-organism growth for soya bean exposed to a cyclical storage temperature was usually lower than that for soya bean held at constant storage temperatures of about 20°C (the average of 15 and 25°C) and 25°C (the average of 20 and 30°C).     

Effect of earthworms on decomposition processes in raw humus forest soil: A microcosm study

Summary The earthworms Lumbricus rubellus (Hoffmeister) and Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny) were studied in the laboratory to determine their effects on decomposition and nutrient cycling in coniferous forest soil. CO₂ evolution was monitored, and pH, PO ₄ ^3– –P, NH ₄ ⁺ –N, NO ₃ ^– –N, total N, and total C in the leaching waters were measured. After three destructive samplings, numbers of animals, mass loss, pH, and KCl-extractable nutrients were analysed.The earthworms clearly enhanced the mass loss of the substrate, especially that of litter. L. rubellus stimulated microbial respiration by 15–18%, whereas D. octaedra stimulated it only slightly. The worms significantly raised the pH of the leaching waters and the humus; L. rubellus raised the value by 0.2–0.6 pH units and D. octaedra by 0.1–0.4 units. Both worms increased N mineralization. Although the biomass of both worms decreased during the experiment, the N released from decomposing tissues did not explain the increase in N leached in the presence of earthworms. The worms influenced the level of PO ₄ ^3– –P only slightly.     

Earthworm effects on the use of C sources by microorganisms: Non-linear response to temperature alteration

A microcosm was used to study the effect of the endogeic earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa (Savigny) on the use of C by microorganisms in a calcareous beech forest soil and its dependence on temperature (5–25%C). Inclusion of ¹⁴C-labelled beech leaf litter made it possible to differentiate between C use by litter-colonizing microflora and by autochthonous soil microflora. The effect of temperature on the soil microbial biomass ¹²C was confined to a significant increase at 15 and 20°C. The size of the ¹⁴C-labelled microbial biomass, in contrast, was positively correlated with temperature. The ¹²C mineralization increased exponentially with temperature. The relationship between ¹⁴C mineralization and temperature, in contrast, followed a logistic curve. Significant main effects of A. caliginosa were confined to ¹²C mineralization, reflecting an increase in ¹²CO₂–C production in the earthworm treatments. The earthworm effects on ¹²CO₂–C production and on ¹⁴C incorporation of the microflora were not linear. The effect of A. caliginosa on ¹²CO₂–C production was most pronouned at intermediate temperatures. It is concluded that temperature alterations affect the microbial use of different C sources in different ways and that the temperature effects can be significantly modified by endogeic earthworms.     

Evaluation of NASA satellite- and assimilation model-derived long-term daily temperature data over the continental US

Agricultural research increasingly is expected to provide precise, quantitative information with an explicit geographic coverage. Limited availability of daily meteorological records often constrains efforts to provide such information through use of simulation models, spatial analysis, and related decision support tools. The Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (NASA/POWER) project at the NASA Langley Research Center provides daily data globally for maximum and minimum temperatures and other weather variables on a 1° latitude–longitude grid. The data are assembled from a range of products derived from satellite imagery, ground observations, windsondes, modeling and data assimilation. Daily temperature data from NASA/POWER for 1983 to 2004 for the continental US were compared with data of 855 individual ground stations from the National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program (COOP). Additionally, a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) simulation model was used to compare predicted time to anthesis using the two data sources. Comparisons of daily maximum temperatures (T_max) gave an r²-value of 0.88 (P < 0.001) and root-mean-squared error (RMSE) of 4.1 °C. For minimum temperature (T_min), the r²-value was 0.88 (P < 0.001) and RMSE, 3.7 °C. Mean values of T_max, and T_min from NASA/POWER were, respectively, 2.4 °C cooler and 1.1 °C warmer than the COOP data. Differences in temperature were least during summer months. When data were aggregated over periods of 8 days or more, the RMSE values declined to below 2.7 °C for T_max and T_min. Simulations of time to anthesis with the two data sources were also strongly correlated (r² = 0.92, P < 0.001, RMSE = 14.5 d). Anthesis dates of winter wheat regions showed better agreement than southern, winter-grown spring wheat regions. The differences between the data sources were associated with differences in elevation, which in large part resulted from NASA/POWER data being based on mean elevations over a 1° grid cells vs. COOP data corresponding to the elevation of specific stations. Additional sources of variation might include proximity to coastlines and differences in observation time, although these factors were not quantified. Overall, if mountainous and coastal regions are excluded, the NASA/POWER data appeared promising as a source of continuous daily temperature data for the USA for research and management applications concerned with scales appropriate to the 1° coordinate grid. It further appeared that the POWER data could be improved by adjusting for elevation (lapse rate) effects, reducing seasonal bias, and refining estimation of actual maximum and minimum temperatures in diurnal cycles.     

Effects of earthworms on nitrogen mineralization

The influence of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris and Aporrectodea tuberculata) on the rate of net N mineralization was studied, both in soil columns with intact soil structure (partly influenced by past earthworm activity) and in columns with sieved soil. Soil columns were collected from a well drained silt loam soil, and before the experiment all earthworms present were removed. Next, either new earthworms (at the rate of five earthworms per 1200 cm³, which was only slightly higher than field numbers and biomass) were added or they were left out. At five points in time, the columns were analyzed for NH ₄ ⁺ , NO ₃ ^– , and microbial biomass in separate samples from the upper and lower layers of the columns. N mineralization was estimated from these measurements. The total C and N content and the microbial biomass in the upper 5 cm of the intact soil columns was higher than in the lower layer. In the homogenized columns, the C and N content and the microbial biomass were equally divided over both layers. In all columns, the concentration of NH ₄ ⁺ was small at the start of the experiment and decreased over time. No earthworm effects on extractable NH ₄ ⁺ were observed. However, when earthworms were present, the concentration of NO ₃ ^– increased in both intact and homogenized cores. The microbial biomass content did not change significantly with time in any of the treatments. In both intact and homogenized soil, N mineralization increased when earthworms were present. Without earthworms, both type of cores mineralized comparable amounts of N, which indicates that mainly direct and indirect biological effects are responsible for the increase in mineralization in the presence of earthworms. The results of this study indicate that earthworm activity can result in considerable amounts of N being mineralized, up to 90 kg N ha^–1 year^–1, at the density used in this experiment.     

An Observational Method for the Assessment of Biogas Production from an Anaerobic Waste Stabilisation Pond treating Farm Dairy Wastewater

A biogas production assessment method based on the visual monitoring of biogas evolution events in an anaerobic waste stabilisation pond was developed and applied to an anaerobic pond treating farm dairy wastewater in New Zealand. Major biogas-induced perturbations at the pond surface were classified as either type 1 or 2 events and other observed biogas activities as small bubble events. Mean counts of types 1 and 2 events varied from 7·3 to 30·0 per hour and 4·3–34·0 per hour, respectively, over the pond surface and the frequency of events decreased as both organic loading and temperature increased. Preliminary estimates of areal gas production rates, obtained using the observational method, ranged from 0·002 to 0·015 m³ m⁻² day⁻¹ for major eruptions and 0·0004–0·024 m³ m⁻² day⁻¹ for small bubble events, giving a total range of 0·002–0·039 m³ m⁻² day⁻¹. Pond temperatures at 2·75 m depth showed relatively minor fluctuations on a diurnal basis and ranged between 13 and 15°C from days 1–60, reaching a maximum of 24°C at day 190. Refinements proposed for future method development include an increased number and range of event categories, the automatic recording of events and the use of an improved cover. Further work is required to assess the general applicability of the method to anaerobic ponds.     

Methane turnover and temperature response of methane-oxidizing bacteria in permafrost-affected soils of northeast Siberia

The abundance, activity, and temperature response of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria were studied in permafrost-affected tundra soils of northeast Siberia. The soils were characterized by both a high accumulation of organic matter at the surface and high methane concentrations in the water-saturated soils. The methane oxidation rates of up to 835 nmol CH₄ h⁻¹ g⁻¹ in the surface soils were similar to the highest values reported so far for natural wetland soils worldwide. The temperature response of methane oxidation was measured during short incubations and revealed maximum rates between 22 °C and 28 °C. The active methanotrophic community was characterized by its phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) concentrations and with stable isotope probing (SIP). Concentrations of 16:1ω8 and 18:1ω8 PLFAs, specific to methanotrophic bacteria, correlated significantly with the potential methane oxidation rates. In all soils, distinct 16:1 PLFAs were dominant, indicating a predominance of type I methanotrophs. However, long-term incubation of soil samples at 0 °C and 22 °C demonstrated a shift in the composition of the active community with rising temperatures. At 0 °C, only the concentrations of 16:1 PLFAs increased and those of 18:1 PLFAs decreased, whereas the opposite was true at 22 °C. Similarly, SIP with ¹³CH₄ showed a temperature-dependent pattern. When the soils were incubated at 0 °C, most of the incorporated label (83%) was found in 16:1 PLFAs and only 2% in 18:1 PLFAs. In soils incubated at 22 °C, almost equal amounts of ¹³C label were incorporated into 16:1 PLFAs and 18:1 PLFAs (33% and 36%, respectively). We concluded that the highly active methane-oxidizing community in cold permafrost-affected soils was dominated by type I methanotrophs under in situ conditions. However, rising temperatures, as predicted for the future, seem to increase the importance of type II methanotrophs, which may affect methane cycling in northern wetlands.     

Constant and diurnally-varying temperature regimes lead to different temperature sensitivities of soil organic carbon decomposition

In a 122-day incubation experiment with two soil types under four temperature treatments, we examined whether the temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition differed between constant and diurnally-varying soil temperature regimes. We calculated the Q₁₀ values after accounting for changes in substrate availability and quality among treatments over time. The Q₁₀ values under constant temperature regime were consistently and significantly higher than those under diurnally-varying temperature regime, particularly in the later stages of decomposition (by up to 30%). This result indicated that different temperature regime was one of the important factors causing the current controversy about the temperature sensitivity of SOC decomposition in published reports.     

Effect of time of mulching on soil temperature and moisture regime and emergence, growth and yield of white yam in western Nigeria

Time of mulching can influence the growth environment and performance of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir). An on-farm trial was conducted during the 1988–1989 and 1989–1990 seasons (October–August) in Nigeria to determine the effect of time of mulching (October–February) on the hydrothermal regime and emergence, growth and tuber yield of white yam. Application of 12.5 mg ha⁻¹ of dry Eupatorium odoratum L. (Syn. Chromolaena odorata L.) mulch on top of the mounds significantly improved soil moisture content of the 15 cm surface layer by 50–120 g kg⁻¹ and decreased the maximum soil temperature by 2–7°C at 15 cm depth in the early growing season (March–April). The emergence and development of yam seedlings were significantly lower in unmulched plots than in mulch-treated plots. Mulching significantly increased tuber yield by about 10–15 mg ha⁻¹ season⁻¹. Plots mulched in October–December were more moist by 20–60 g kg⁻¹ and cooler by 1–3°C, and had 27–44% greater emergence than those mulched in January or February. The number of leaves per plant, vine diameter and leaf area index were also significantly greater in plots mulched in October–December than plots mulched in January or February. Consequently, shoot dry weight was about 28–36% greater in yam mulched in October–December than in yam mulched in February. However, the time of mulching had no effect on soil moisture of the surface layer at the beginning of the rainy season (April), on yam emergence in May and on tuber yield and yield components. Although time of mulching did not significantly affect tuber yield, the increase (10–15%) in the tuber yield of yam mulched in December–February compared to the yam mulched in October or November was considerable. It was concluded that yam planted in October, just before the rain stops, can be mulched in January or February without detrimental effect on emergence, growth and tuber yield.     

Microbial decomposition of skeletal muscle tissue (Ovis aries) in a sandy loam soil at different temperatures

A laboratory experiment was conducted to determine the effect of temperature (2, 12, 22 °C) on the rate of aerobic decomposition of skeletal muscle tissue (Ovis aries) in a sandy loam soil incubated for a period of 42 days. Measurements of decomposition processes included skeletal muscle tissue mass loss, carbon dioxide (CO₂) evolution, microbial biomass, soil pH, skeletal muscle tissue carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content and the calculation of metabolic quotient (qCO₂). Incubation temperature and skeletal muscle tissue quality had a significant effect on all of the measured process rates with 2 °C usually much lower than 12 and 22 °C. Cumulative CO₂ evolution at 2, 12 and 22 °C equaled 252, 619 and 905 mg CO₂, respectively. A significant correlation (P<0.001) was detected between cumulative CO₂ evolution and tissue mass loss at all temperatures. Q₁₀s for mass loss and CO₂ evolution, which ranged from 1.19 to 3.95, were higher for the lower temperature range (Q₁₀(2-12 °C)>Q₁₀(12-22 °C)) in the Ovis samples and lower for the low temperature range (Q₁₀(2-12 °C)<Q₁₀(12-22 °C)) in the control samples. Metabolic quotient and the positive relationship between skeletal muscle tissue mass loss and cumulative CO₂ evolution suggest that tissue decomposition was most efficient at 2 °C. These phenomena may be due to lower microbial catabolic requirements at lower temperature.     

PH—Postharvest Technology: The Effects of Grain Temperature on Breakage Susceptibility in Maize

To understand the viscoelastic characteristics (i.e. hardness) of the maize (Zea Mays L.) grain in relation to high-temperature drying, a breakage tester (HT-I drop tester) was developed and single-grain breakage at various grain temperatures and times after drying was determined. Both hard and soft maize hybrid varieties had minimal breakage at high grain temperatures (78–110°C), while decreasing grain temperature increased breakage exponentially. After drying at both 60 and 120°C, the percentage breakage measured at ambient temperature increased rapidly during cooling in air at an ambient temperature of 20°C and a relative humidity in the range 65–70%. Breakage reached a maximum after about 10 min from the start of cooling. A Mitscherlich function described the chronological development of percent grain breakage. Analysis of the function parameters for the extent (maximum) and rate of breakage indicated that there was a significant interaction between variety and drying temperature for the development of grain breakage after drying. These results indicated that grain temperature should be considered as a co-factor when assessing grain breakage susceptibility.     

Variation in temperature requirements for germination and early seedling root development in Chamaecrista rotundifolia and three allied species

Two experiments are discussed. In the first, rates of root elongation during the first four days of growth at 25 °C were studied in Chamaecrista rotundifolia (34 accessions), C. nictitans (2 accessions), C. pilosa (1 accession) and C. serpens (3 accessions). In the second, a comparison was made of germination characteristics of 14 accessions of C. rotundifolia and one of C. pilosa at nine constant temperatures (11–27 °C). Entries included accessions from a wide latitudinal range. There were statistically significant differences in root length on all four days of measurement. No accession had significantly longer roots than the commercial cultivar cv. Wynn on day 1, but over the following three days, 4, 10 and 13 accessions had significantly longer roots, respectively. Root length on day 4 was positively correlated with latitude of origin. In the second experiment, maximum germination occurred at 25.5–27 °C, with progressively lower percentages at lower temperatures. There were highly significant differences between accessions at each temperature (P<0.001), and a highly significant accession × temperature interaction. No accession had a higher germination percentage than cv. Wynn at any temperature. Percentage mortality differed significantly (P<0.05) at all temperatures except 27 °C. Mortality at low temperature was negatively correlated with latitude of provenance. Increased temperatures up to 22.5 °C reduced the time taken to reach 50% of maximum germination (T₅₀), and thereafter it was reasonably constant. With one exception (22.5 °C), no accession germinated significantly more quickly than cv. Wynn, and at 13 °C cv. Wynn germinated significantly more rapidly than all other entries. Over all temperatures, there was a significant negative correlation between days to 50% germination and latitude of provenance. Estimated base temperature for germination (T _b ) ranged from 10.6 °C to 13.6 °C. T _b was positively correlated with latitude of provenance. It is argued that accessions from higher latitudes have developed mechanisms for survival of soft seed at low temperatures, low base germination temperature, germination rates and root elongation rates that adapt them to an environment with summer-dominant rainfall and winters which are too cool to support growth.     

Fertilizer and temperature effects on urea hydrolysis in undisturbed soil

Summary Few published studies have examined the effects of a continuous fertilizer application on urea hydrolysis. In the present study we investigated the effects of 9 years of continuous application of urea and P fertilizers on urea hydrolysis in undisturbed soil samples as affected by temperature (5–45°C). Undisturbed soil samples of surface horizons (0–7 cm) were obtained with cutting rings (50 cm³) from different fertilizer-treatment plots and inserted in polyethylene bottles (with cutting rings). Each soil sample (in the cutting ring) was treated with 10 ml urea solution (0.5 mmol urea N g^-1 soil) and then broght to 90% field capacity. The samples were left to equilibrate for 30 min at a temperature of 4°C, then placed in an incubator at 37°C for 6 h. The results indicated that 9 years of continuous application of urea but not P had a significant effect on urea hydrolysis in soil. There was a good correlation between temperature and urea hydrolysis in soil. Q ₁₀ was between 1.97 and 2.08 in the temperature range 5–45°C.     

Relationship between soil CO2 concentrations and forest-floor CO2 effluxes

To better understand the biotic and abiotic factors that control soil CO₂ efflux, we compared seasonal and diurnal variations in simultaneously measured forest-floor CO₂ effluxes and soil CO₂ concentration profiles in a 54-year-old Douglas fir forest on the east coast of Vancouver Island. We used small solid-state infrared CO₂ sensors for long-term continuous real-time measurement of CO₂ concentrations at different depths, and measured half-hourly soil CO₂ effluxes with an automated non-steady-state chamber. We describe a simple steady-state method to measure CO₂ diffusivity in undisturbed soil cores. The method accounts for the CO₂ production in the soil and uses an analytical solution to the diffusion equation. The diffusivity was related to air-filled porosity by a power law function, which was independent of soil depth. CO₂ concentration at all depths increased with increase in soil temperature, likely due to a rise in CO₂ production, and with increase in soil water content due to decreased diffusivity or increased CO₂ production or both. It also increased with soil depth reaching almost 10 mmol mol⁻¹ at the 50-cm depth. Annually, soil CO₂ efflux was best described by an exponential function of soil temperature at the 5-cm depth, with the reference efflux at 10 °C (F₁₀) of 2.6 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ and the Q₁₀ of 3.7. No evidence of displacement of CO₂-rich soil air with rain was observed.Effluxes calculated from soil CO₂ concentration gradients near the surface closely agreed with the measured effluxes. Calculations indicated that more than 75% of the soil CO₂ efflux originated in the top 20 cm soil. Calculated CO₂ production varied with soil temperature, soil water content and season, and when scaled to 10 °C also showed some diurnal variation. Soil CO₂ efflux and concentrations as well as soil temperature at the 5-cm depth varied in phase. Changes in CO₂ storage in the 0–50 cm soil layer were an order of magnitude smaller than measured effluxes. Soil CO₂ efflux was proportional to CO₂ concentration at the 50-cm depth with the slope determined by soil water content, which was consistent with a simple steady-state analytical model of diffusive transport of CO₂ in the soil. The latter proved successful in calculating effluxes during 2004.