Sugar beet rotation effects on soil organic matter and calculated humus balance in Central Germany

In order to quantify the influence of land use systems on the level of soil organic matter (SOM) to develop recommendations, long-term field studies are essential. Based on a crop rotation experiment which commenced in 1970, this paper investigated the impact of crop rotations involving increased proportions of sugar beet on SOM content. To this end, soil samples were taken in 2010 and 2012 from the following crop rotation sequences: sugar beet–sugar beet–winter wheat–winter wheat (SB–SB–WW–WW = 50%), sugar beet–sugar beet–sugar beet–winter wheat (SB–SB–SB–WW = 75%), sugar beet–grain maize (SB–GM = 50%) and sugar beet-monoculture (SB = 100%); these were analysed in terms of total organic carbon (TOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content, MBC/TOC ratio and the TOC stocks per hectare. In addition, humus balances were created (using the software REPRO, reference period 12 years) in order to calculate how well the soil was supplied with organic matter. In the field experiment, harvest by-products (WW and GM straw as well as SB leaves) were removed. After 41 years, no statistically significant differences were measured between the crop rotations for the parameters TOC, MBC, MBC/TOC ratio and the TOC stock per hectare. However, the calculated humus balance was significantly affected by the crop rotation. The calculated humus balance became increasingly negative in the order SB–SB–WW–WW, SB–SB–SB–WW, SB monoculture and SB–GM, and correlated with the soil parameters. The calculated humus balances for the reference period did not reflect the actual demand for organic matter by the crop rotations, but instead overestimated it.     

藏北高原退化高寒草甸土壤团聚体有机碳变化特征

采用湿筛法对藏北高原退化高寒草甸表层(0~10cm)、亚表层(10~20cm)土壤团聚体有机碳及其变化进行了研究。结果表明,高原冷湿环境中退化草地表层、亚表层SAOC的下降幅度随草地退化加剧均趋于显著提高,轻度、严重退化草地表层各粒级SAOC降幅均明显高于亚表层;草地退化缩小了不同土层间SAOC含量的差异,草地退化程度越高则表层、亚表层间SAOC含量的差异越小,退化草地大团聚体(0.25mm)SOC、微团聚体(0.25mm)SOC含量的土层分布亦呈相同趋势。轻度退化草地不同土层大团聚体SOC降幅均较高,严重退化草地不同土层微团聚体SOC降幅则较高;正常草地、轻度退化草地、严重退化草地表层大团聚体SOC/微团聚体SOC比值分别为0.95,0.87,1.55,亚表层分别为0.96,0.72,2.33,表明轻度、严重退化草地中大团聚体SOC含量随土层加深分别更趋下降、更趋提高。退化草地表层、亚表层SAOC贡献率在总体上亦均按2~0.25 mm,2 mm,0.25~0.053mm,0.053mm的顺序依次大幅降低,表明不同土层大团聚体SOC贡献率均较高。土壤团聚体与SAOC、SOC与SAOC间的关系受草地退化程度的影响。     

Nutritional significance of amino acids,vitamins and minerals as nutraceuticals in poultry production and health – a comprehensive review

Nutraceuticals have gained immense importance in poultry science recently considering the nutritional and beneficial health effects of their constituents. Besides providing nutritional requirements to birds, nutraceuticals have beneficial pharmacological effects, for example, they help in establishing normal physiological health status, prevent diseases and thereby improve production performance. Nutraceuticals include amino acids, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, etc. which are important for preventing oxidative stress, regulating the immune response and maintaining normal physiological, biochemical and homeostatic mechanisms. Nutraceuticals help in supplying nutrients in balanced amounts for supporting the optimal growth performance in modern poultry flocks, and as a dietary supplement can reduce the use of antibiotics. The application of antibiotic growth enhancers in poultry leads to the propagation of antibiotic-resistant microbes and drug residues; therefore, they have been restricted in many countries. Thus, there is a demand for natural feed additives that lead to the same growth enhancement without affecting the health. Nutraceuticals substances have an essential role in the development of the animals’ normal physiological functions and in protecting them against infectious diseases. In this review, the uses of amino acids, vitamins and minerals as well as their mode of action in growth promotion and elevation of immune system are discussed.     

Selenium supplementation improves nutrient intake and digestibility,and mitigates CH4 emissions from sheep grazed on the mixed pasture of alfalfa and tall fescue

Low selenium (Se) in soil and forage can adversely affect on the quality of animal-derived foods, and hence on human health. Lambs grazed on mixed pastures of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) were supplemented with five levels of Se [0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 µg/kg body weight (BW)]. The intake of dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) varied with the level of Se supplementation, with a peak at 6 µg Se per kg BW (p ≤ 0.05). Gross energy (GE) intake, digestive energy (DE) intake and metabolic energy (ME) intake were higher at 6 µg Se per kg BW than at other Se levels (p < 0.01); in addition, methane energy (CH₄-E) output was lower at 6 µg Se per kg BW. Supplementation with Se significantly increased nitrogen (N) intake, faecal N and urine N, for which the peak values were 20.2 g N/, 5.62 g N/day and 7.92 g N/day, respectively, at 6 µg Se per kg BW. Se intake, blood Se, faecal Se, urine Se and retained Se were negatively correlated with forage crude protein (CP) content (p < 0.001) but were positively correlated with the content of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (p < 0.001) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) (p < 0.001). Thus, we recommend the addition of 6 µg Se per kg BW to sheep grazed on pastures in regions with low soil Se.     

施用有机肥对当归药材性状、产量及抗病性的影响

为了探寻有机肥对当归成药栽培的影响,采用黑膜覆盖栽培,基施纯有机肥（O,2000 kg·hm^-2）、纯化肥（C,磷酸二铵,420 kg·hm^-2）、减半量化肥增施有机肥［1/2（O+C）］,以不施肥为对照（CK）,栽培期测定早期抽薹率、发病率、药材产量和性状指标。结果表明,纯有机肥栽培当归早期抽薹率为8.0%,分别较CK、1/2（O+C）和C降低19.4%、15.2%和7.1%。药材产量则相反,O、C和1/2（O+C）栽培当归药材产量相当,鲜产量分别较CK提高105.9%、84.6%和78.2%。纯有机肥栽培当归根最长,侧根最多,单根最重,药材产量最高。化肥对根的增粗作用最大,但含水量高,根病率高,发病重。不同施肥每hm²鲜药材产量与综合评价指数大小顺序一致,依次为O（9220.6 kg,0.926）>C（9038.5 kg,0.610）>1/2（O+C）（8728.4 kg,0.481）>CK（4897.4 kg,0.190）。每hm²干药材产量排序为O（3149.2 kg）>1/2（O+C）（3098.7 kg）>C（2909.2 kg）>CK（1707.0 kg）,与经济收益一致。在岷县道地产区黑膜覆盖栽培,纯施有机肥对当归药材具有显著增效作用,可有效降低早薹率、根病率和发病程度,改善药材性状,提高药材产量和质量,在当归标准化栽培中可推广应用,以改变当归依赖化肥的生产现状,促进绿色有机栽培。     

磷对铝胁迫紫花苜蓿幼苗根系生长和生理特征的影响

为了探究磷对铝胁迫下紫花苜蓿幼苗生长和生理特征的影响,分别用不含和含200 μmol·L^-1磷（P）、100 μmol·L^-1铝（Al）、200 μmol·L^-1 P+100 μmol·L^-1 Al的简易 ［Ca（NO₃）₂］营养液（pH=4.5）处理铝敏感紫花苜蓿品种‘Wl440’幼苗。结果表明,在铝处理中添加磷后,苜蓿幼苗根系和叶片中的铝含量分别比铝处理降低81.53%和61.47%,苜蓿幼苗的根长和根系活力显著提高,叶片电导率和丙二醛（MDA）含量显著下降;光合生理得到明显改善,与铝处理相比,磷添加处理幼苗叶片的叶绿素含量、蒸腾速率、气孔导度和光合速率明显提高,光系统Ⅱ和光系统I的电子传递速率增加;磷添加处理明显提高了铝胁迫苜蓿根系的草酸和苹果酸含量,体内有机酸螯合铝离子的能力增强,光合能力提高。因此,磷能够通过增加根系有机酸含量,改善铝胁迫苜蓿光合系统,从而缓解苜蓿铝毒害。     

发酵豆粕在犊牛饲料中的应用进展

豆粕是一种优质的植物性蛋白来源,含有丰富的氨基酸,但也含有胰蛋白酶抑制因子、抗原蛋白以及大豆凝集素等抗营养因子,容易引起犊牛消化功能紊乱,造成营养性腹泻,限制了其在犊牛上的使用量。微生物发酵可以改善豆粕的营养价值,使抗营养因子得到充分的降解,生成的小肽和有机酸有利于犊牛消化吸收和肠道健康,进而提高犊牛断奶日增重和免疫能力,降低犊牛的腹泻率和断奶应激。本文综述了豆粕经过发酵后带来营养价值的变化,并就发酵豆粕在犊牛上的应用进行概述,为其今后在犊牛中的应用提供参考。     

高产棉花太阳辐射能利用率及干物质分配规律研究

通过对1988～1989年高产棉花栽培试验结果进行分析发现,棉花的太阳辐射利用率在叶面积系数小于2.0时随叶面积系数的增加而线性增加,大于2.0时增加变缓。从生育时间看,7月中旬前太阳辐射利用率指数上升,7月中旬至8月底相对稳定在1.2～1.4克/兆焦左右,9月以后又不同程度线性下降。生长季内子棉太阳辐射经济效率1988和1989年分别为0.14和0.15克/兆焦。收获指数与最大叶面积系数呈显著负相关;盛花期之前棉株各器官之间的同伸关系或明显,盛花期后器官的生长相互间无明显的确定性关系。如能调节密度与叶面积系数的关系,使得既提高5～6月的辐射能利用率,同时使7～8月叶面积系数维持在3.0～3.5的适宜范围内,9～10月群体又不早衰,则有利于获得高产。     

Soil aggregate formation and stability induced by starch and cellulose

Soil aggregate (SA) can be formed and stabilized when soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposed in the soil. However, the relationships between the SA dynamics and SOM with different decomposition rates have not been clarified. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the addition of polysaccharides to soil on SA formation and stability. A Japanese tropical soil was incubated for 99 d at 30 °C in a dark environment following the addition of 0.5% (w/w) starch or cellulose. The decomposition rates of the amendments, and SA formation and stability were evaluated by measuring soil respiration rates, and distribution fractions of soil aggregate sizes and mean weight diameter (MWD) of SA, respectively. The cumulative soil respirations with all treatments rapidly increased until Day 12 of the incubation. The initial slope of the cumulative soil respiration in the soil with starch was significantly higher than that in the soil with cellulose. In either soil with starch or cellulose, the fractions of macro-aggregates (>1000 μm in diameter) significantly increased, respectively, compared with control soil. However, the fractions of meso-aggregates (250–1000 μm) and nano-aggregate (<20 μm) in the soil with starch significantly decreased, while those fractions in the soil with cellulose fluctuated until Day 6. The MWDs reached the maximum on Day 6, indicating the SA formation in the soils with starch or cellulose. The increasing rate of the SA formation in the starch-amended soil was greatly higher than that in the cellulose-amended soil. After Day 6, the MWDs in the soils with either polysaccharide decreased with similar trends with no significant differences between treatments, indicating similar stability of the SA in both treatments. This study showed that the different decomposability of the organic amendments might influence the SA formation differently, but not the SA stability.     

Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Changes on Organic Carbon Stocks in Mediterranean Soils (1956–2007)

During the last few decades, land use changes have largely affected the global warming process through emissions of CO₂. However, C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems could contribute to the decrease of atmospheric CO₂ rates. Although Mediterranean areas show a high potential for C sequestration, only a few studies have been carried out in these systems. In this study, we propose a methodology to assess the impact of land use and land cover change dynamics on soil organic C stocks at different depths. Soil C sequestration rates are provided for different land cover changes and soil types in Andalusia (southern Spain). Our research is based on the analysis of detailed soil databases containing data from 1357 soil profiles, the Soil Map of Andalusia and the Land Use and Land Cover Map of Andalusia. Land use and land cover changes between 1956 and 2007 implied soil organic C losses in all soil groups, resulting in a total loss of 16·8 Tg (approximately 0·33 Tg y⁻¹). Afforestation increased soil organic C mostly in the topsoil, and forest contributed to sequestration of 8·62 Mg ha⁻¹ of soil organic C (25·4 per cent). Deforestation processes implied important C losses, particularly in Cambisols, Luvisols and Vertisols. The information generated in this study will be a useful basis for designing management strategies for stabilizing the increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations by preservation of C stocks and C sequestration. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.