Soil loss tolerance in the central chernozemic region of the European part of Russia

To calculate the soil loss tolerance for chernozems of the central chernozemic region, a linear modification of Skidmore’s equation was used. The soil loss tolerance values were obtained with due account for the soil type, the degree of erodibility, and the crop rotation pattern. The maximum possible value (10 t/ha per year) was obtained for a typical noneroded chernozem in all the crop rotations. Close values were obtained for noneroded leached and typical chernozems (9.6–9.9 t/ha per year depending on the crop rotation pattern). The soil loss tolerance for the noneroded podzolized chernozem was somewhat lower: 9.1 t/ha per year in the grain-herb-intertilled crop rotation and 6.3 t/ha/year in the grain-intertilled crop rotation. With an increase in the degree of the soil erosion, the soil loss tolerance decreased in all the variants of the experiment with an especially abrupt decrease in the grain-intertilled crop rotation (from 9.9–10.0 to 0.3–2.0 t/ha per year in the, respectively, noneroded and slightly eroded ordinary and typical chernozems). In the grain-herb-intertilled crop rotation, these differences were much smaller: in the slightly eroded typical chernozem the soil loss tolerance was estimated at 9.7 t/ha per year, while, in the slightly eroded typical chernozem, at 8.1 t/ha per year. The moderately eroded chernozems without the addition of manure could only be used in the grain-herb-intertilled crop rotation; the soil loss tolerance was estimated at 9.0 t/ha per year for the typical chernozem and 4.3 t/ha per year for the ordinary chernozem.     

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Peat Mounds of the Permafrost Zone

Eurasian Soil Science - The accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the profiles of permafrost-affected peat mounds is related to certain groups of plant residues produced in the...     

Reaction of cultivars and populations of alfalfa on heat and drought in Volga Region

The harvest of seed and green mass of alfalfa cultivars and population went down meaningfully during the last 2 years (2014, 2015). This period was characterized by higher values of average air temperature (by 1.0°С) and decreased relative air humidity (by 6.0%) and rainfall during the vegetation of alfalfa (by 107.0 mm). New varieties Sirena and Natali, as well as populations 2/08 and 6/04, were characterized by the highest yield of green mass and seeds in competitive variety trial.     

Reversal of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice without spleen cell-derived beta cell regeneration

Autoimmune destruction of beta cells is the predominant cause of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in humans and is modeled in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. Many therapeutic interventions prevent the development of T1DM in NOD mice, but few can induce its reversal once established. Intervention with Freund's complete adjuvant, semi-allogeneic splenocytes, and temporary islet transplantation has been reported to cure NOD mice of established T1DM. Using the same approach, we report here that this treatment cured 32% of NOD mice of established diabetes (>340 milligrams per deciliter blood glucose), although beta cells in these mice were not derived from donor splenocytes.     

Methods of identifying and monitoring transgenic components in food

A methodology is developed for revealing and identifying genetically modified sources (GMSs) in plant raw material and food products obtained from it, which enables routine analyses. For optimization suitable for testing DNA, three methods of isolating it are compared: CTAB method, DNA-BioPro method with Wizard columns, and Silica M method with specific adsorbents. More than 400 food items from different populated areas of the Moscow region are analyzed.     

Genetic relationships among strains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xanthomonas campestris</Emphasis>pv. <Emphasis Type="Italic">campestris</Emphasis>revealed by novel rep-PCR primers

Novel primers for rep-PCR were developed with the original software and based on `ancient diverged periodical sequences'. Rep-PCR with these primers was applied to study genetic relationships among 51 Xanthomonas campestris strains. The strains were collected from different countries including Russia, Japan, UK, Germany and Hungary. Reference strains of three X. campestrispathovars and five other Xanthomonas species were included. Based on qualitative differences in amplification profiles, the strains were divided into four major groups. Two subgroups recognised within X. campestrispopulation were similar to RFLP haplotypes. The third subgroup included strains of two other pathovariants and Japanese isolates of X. campestris pv. campestriswhile the fourth group comprised the other species of Xanthomonas. The analysis of the diversity within X. campestris resulted in the conclusion that isolates belong to distinct clonal populations (subgroups). The differences between the subgroups of X. campestris were only slightly smaller than between species of Xanthomonas. A PCR fragment about 600 bp amplified by primer KRPN2 was found in nearly all tested strains of X. campestris.SCAR primers designed for this marker produced a single specific band for strains of X. campestris, but not for other Xanthomonas, Pseudomonas and Erwiniastrains tested. Application of the new primer set for rep-PCR offers a rapid, simple and reproducible method for identification of bacterial strains. The X. campestris-specific SCAR primers may be used in diagnostics of this important plant pathogen.     

Buffer capacities of podzolic and peat gleyic podzolic soils to sulfuric and nitric acids

Soil samples from the main genetic horizons of pale podzolic and peat gleyic podzolic soils from the Central Forest Reserve were subjected to a continuous potentiometric titration by sulfuric and nitric acids. The sulfate sorption capacity was determined in soil mineral horizons. The buffer capacity of mineral horizons of both soils to sulfuric acid was found to be higher than that to the nitric acid. This is explained by the sorption of sulfates via the mechanism of ligand exchange with the release of hydroxyl groups from the surfaces of Fe and Al hydroxide particles and edge faces of clay crystallites. The buffer capacity of organic horizons of the pale podzolic soil to sulfuric acid proved to be higher than that to nitric acid; in organic horizons of the peat gleyic podzolic soil, the buffer capacity to sulfuric acid was lower than that to nitric acid. The reasons for this phenomenon have yet to be investigated.