Source of mycorrhizal inoculum influences growth of Faidherbia albida seedlings

Poor land use management and practice inhibit the growth and establishment of tree seedlings in dryland areas.We assessed arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AM)status of Faidherbia albida(Del.)A.Chev.trees grown on different land uses.We quantified the growth and nutrient uptake of F.albida seedlings inoculated with AM from different sources.These efforts were based on soil and fine root samples from the rhizosphere soils of F.albida trees.AM root colonization was determined using the gridline intersect method.Spores were extracted by the wet sieving and decanting method and identified to genus level.The seedling experiment had a completely randomized onefactorial design with four treatments and five replications.Faidherbida albida seedlings were grown in a greenhouse.All in situ F.albida trees were colonized by AM fungi.AM root colonization of F.albida trees was significantly higher(P<0.0086)in area exclosures than on lands used for grazing or cultivation.Spore abundance was significantly higher(P<0.0014)in area exclosures followed by cultivated land and grazing land.Glomus was the dominant genus in all land-uses.AM-inoculated F.albida seedlings grew better(P<0.05)than non-inoculated controls.Seedlings inoculated with AM from area exclosure had significantly(P<0.05)higher growth and nutrient uptake than those inoculated with AM from grazing and cultivated land.This emphasizes the importance of the native soil AM potential for better establishment of seedlings to achieve optimum plant growth improvement and assist in rehabilitation of degraded arid lands.     

The Effect of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization on the Nitrogen Absorption by Sunflowers

Little is known about the effect of fertilization on the N uptake of sunflowers. A 4² factorial trial with 0, 60, 120 and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ and 0, 15, 30 and 45 kg P ha⁻¹ was conducted over three years. The N content and concentration of leaves, stems and capitula were determined at three growth stages. High N levels increased the N content and concentration of all plant parts at all growth stages sharply. High P levels increased the N content of all plant components through better growth. P has an inconsistent effect on N concentration but tended to decrease it. After flowering the crop assimilated 20 to 25 % of the total N. This implies that N applied can still be applied and utilized by the crop at a late stage. This should be substantiated by further research.     

Die Wurzelentwicklung von Zuckerrübenpflanzen auf einem Sandlöß-Standort und ihre Bedeutung für die Stickstoffernährung

Root development of sugar beet plants on a sandy loess site with regard to nitrogen nutrition.
Root development of sugar beet plants in a sandy loess soil (Haplic Phaeozem) was observed from the early seedling stage up to harvest by measuring at first the greatest vertical and lateral extension of the root systems of single plants and later the rooting density of the whole plant stands (auger method, profile wall method).
During the seedling stage not only the subsoil, but also large parts of the topsoil between the plants remained unoccupied by the root systems. In this phase the greatest lateral extension of single roots reaches nearly the length of the greatest leaf of the plant. With the closure of the canopy the rooting density in the topsoil accounts to 1–2 cm cm⁻³.
In summer roots penetrate to a depth of 100–150 cm with rooting densities of 0.1 to 1 cm - cm⁻³. Thus, the plants gain not only access to water reserves, but sometimes meet remarkable amounts of nitrate which under the relatively dry conditions of the region tends to accumulate in 60–120 cm depth and – when taken up by the beet plants in the late stage of growth – affects crop quality negatively.     

Long-term application of animal slurries to grassland alters soil cation balance

Abstract. Soil samples from a 32-year grassland field experiment were taken from 0–5, 5–10, and 10–15 cm soil depths in February 2002. Plots received annual treatments of unamended control, mineral fertilizer, three rates of pig slurry and three rates of cow slurry, each with six replicates. Samples were analysed for cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺), pH and Olsen P. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) was calculated as a sodicity indicator. Mean ESP was generally greater for slurry treatments than the control, with a trend of increasing ESP with application rate. This was particularly marked for cow slurry. At 0–5 cm depth ESP increased from 1.18 in the control to 1.75 at the highest rate of pig slurry and 5.60 at the highest rate of cow slurry. Similar trends were shown for CEC, exchangeable Na⁺, K⁺ and Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Olsen P. The build-up of soil P due to slurry applications, together with this combination of physical and chemical factors, may increase the risk of P loss to surface waters, particularly from soils receiving high rates of cow slurry.     

盐分对碱茅种子发芽影响的机制

耐碱茅种子在盐（NaCl与Na2SO4）及干旱（PEG－6000模拟）胁迫下发芽及其机制的比较研究表明，种子发芽率随溶液渗透势的降低而下降，在等渗条件下三种溶液中的发芽率次序为Na2SO4＞NaCl＞PEG。NaCl与Na2SO4主要通过影响种子吸水量及对膜的毒性影响发芽，根据相关及通径分析结果，其机制为：（1）溶液渗透势及Na+浓度决定的种子吸水对发芽的直接正效应（通径系数0．73）；（2）溶液Na+浓度引起的膜毒性对发芽的直接负效应（－0．51）；（3）种子从溶液中吸收Na使种子吸水增加对发芽的间接正效应（0．30）及使膜毒性增大对发芽的间接负效应（－0．24）。     

Effect of Integration of Fertilizer and Green Manure Nitrogen on Yield Attributes, Nitrogen Uptake and Yield of Lowland Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Field experiments were conducted at Tamil Nadu Rice Research Institute, Aduthurai, India, during the wet seasons of 1992 and 1993 to study the effect of full and partial substitution of fertiliser N with green manure N (Sesbania rostrata) on nitrogen uptake, yield attributes and yield of rice. The experiment consisted of eight treatments with two levels of N (100 and 200 kg ha⁻¹) and three sources of N application viz., fertilizer, integrated (1:1 fertilizer and green manure N) and green manure N compared to the recommended practice (150 kg fertilizer plus 6.25 t ha⁻¹ (72 kg N) green manure) and a no N control. Nitrogen application markedly increased the N uptake. Combined use of the two N sources at 200 and 222 kg N ha⁻¹ and of single fertilizer N at 200 kg N ha⁻¹ recorded the maximum N uptake, increased the yield attributes such as number of panicles per unit area, weight per panicle, number of total and filled grains per panicle and test weight. At 200 kg N ha⁻¹ full substitution of N by green manure reduced the grain yield but only partial substitution of N by green manure resulted in almost similar yield as single fertilizer N. Thus 200 kg N ha⁻¹ applied in equal proportions of fertilizer and green manure N can be recommended for medium duration rice cultivars.     

灌丛草地放牧山羊的牧草适口性与嗜食性及山羊采食率研究

通过对放牧山羊的牧草适口性，嗜食性和采食率及其相互关系的分析，表明山羊放牧对灌丛草地的植物适口性、嗜食性比率和采食率均以灌木嫩枝叶，中禾草和苔草属植物较优。季节性规律为：春季山羊喜哺食灌木嫩枝叶，灌木嗜食性比率较高，采食率也较高，夏季山羊喜草本植物，草本植物的嗜食性比率高于灌木，秋季山羊较喜啃食灌木枝叶，嗜食性比率灌木高于草本植物，采食率低于春季，灌木采食率高于草本植物。     

温度和砷对不同品种水稻幼苗生长和砷吸收的影响

为明确温度和外源砷对水稻生长发育的影响,选取江苏地区常见的8个水稻品种为试验材料,通过添加不同浓度外源砷[0(As0)、0.5(As0.5) 和1 mg?L-1(As1)]和模拟不同温度[白天/夜晚分别为30 ℃/25 ℃（T0）和35 ℃/30 ℃（T1）],在人工气候箱内进行了发芽和苗期培养试验,并分析了8个品种水稻种子萌发、幼苗生长及砷含量状况。结果表明,外源砷对水稻的芽长和活力指数具有抑制作用,与对照（T0As0）相比,T0As1处理使不同品种水稻的芽长和活力指数分别降低13.69%~43.34%和28.14%~52.88%。 而温度对水稻种子萌发的影响与水稻品种有关。在T1处理下,盐两优1618的发芽率、芽长和活力指数均优于其他品种。温度和外源砷的共同作用显著降低了不同品种水稻的芽长（P<0.05）。与T0As0相比,T1As1使水稻芽长显著降低5.66%~43.34%。水稻根长和根系活力显著受到温度和外源砷的单一因素的影响。与T0As0相比,T0As1处理使水稻根系活力降低3.01%~58.21%。温度和外源砷的共同作用抑制了水稻根长和根系活力,其中T1As1使水稻根系活力显著降低53.80%~89.01%。不同品种水稻的苗高和根系活力在相同温度或外源砷处理下具有显著差异（P<0.05）,其中盐两优888的苗高和根系活力均处于较高水平。水稻茎叶砷含量在外源砷处理下显著增加,在增温处理下却降低。与单一的砷处理相比,温度和外源砷的共同作用降低了水稻茎叶的砷含量。综上可知,温度和外源砷影响水稻的生长及砷吸收,但水稻生长状况具有明显的品种间差异,其中盐两优888和盐两优1618在增温和外源砷共存条件下的种子萌发和生长状况优于其他水稻品种。     

Effect of take-all root infections on nitrate uptake in winter wheat

The effect of take-all root lesions on nitrate uptake of wheat was investigated in two experiments under controlled conditions. Plants were supplied with a nutrient solution labelled with ¹⁵N during stem elongation and flowering to assess the distribution of the isotopic tracer in the different plant organs, and particularly in root segments located on both sides of take-all lesions. The ¹⁵N atom percentage excess measured in root segments located below lesions longer than 1 cm was reduced on average by half compared with that in healthy roots and root segments above lesions, reflecting a reduction in nitrogen uptake by these root segments. This reduction probably resulted from the invasion and breakdown of phloem vessels by the fungus hyphae, interrupting energy supply and thus the uptake process. Severely infected plants showed an increase in the uptake rate per unit of efficient root, which appeared to be a compensatory response to reduction of efficient root biomass in order to satisfy shoot nitrogen demand. However, this compensatory response was insufficient to ensure nitrogen accumulation equivalent to that of healthy plants, as reductions in nitrogen accumulated in roots and aerial parts at flowering were up to 56 and 49%, respectively, for plants with more than 50% of the root system below lesions longer than 1 cm.