Cultivation effects on soil texture and fertility in an arid desert region of northwestern China

In arid desert regions of northwestern China, reclamation and subsequent irrigated cultivation have become effective ways to prevent desertification, expand arable croplands, and develop sustainable agricultural production. Improvement in soil texture and fertility is crucial to high soil quality and stable crop yield. However, knowledge on the long-term effects of the conversion of desert lands into arable croplands is very limited. To address this problem, we conducted this study in an arid desert region of northwestern China to understand the changes in soil physical-chemical properties after 0, 2, 5, 10, 17, and 24 years of cultivation. Our results showed that silt and clay contents at the 17-year-old sites increased 17.5 and 152.3 folds, respectively, compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The soil aggregate size fraction and its stability exhibited an exponential growth trend with increasing cultivation ages, but no significant change was found for the proportion of soil macroaggregates (>5.00 mm) during the 17 years of cultivation. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content at the 24-year-old sites was 6.86 g/kg and increased 8.8 folds compared with that at the 0-year-old sites. The total (or available) nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents showed significant increasing trends and reached higher values after 17 (or 24) years of cultivation. Changes in soil physical-chemical properties successively experienced slow, rapid, and stable development stages, but some key properties (such as soil aggregate stability and SOC) were still too low to meet the sustainable agricultural production. The results of this long-term study indicated that reasonable agricultural management, such as expanding no-tillage land area, returning straw to the fields, applying organic fertilizer, reducing chemical fertilizer application, and carrying out soil testing for formula fertilization, is urgently needed in arid desert regions.     

Utilizing a DUALEM‐421 and inversion modelling to map baseline soil salinity along toposequences in the Hunter Valley Wine district

In the oldest commercial wine district of Australia, the Hunter Valley, there is the threat of soil salinization because marine sediments underlie the area. To understand the risk requires information about the spatial distribution of soil properties. Electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments have been used to identify and map the spatial variation of average soil salinity to a certain depth. However, soils vary with depth dependent on soil forming factors. We collected data from a single‐frequency and multiple‐coil DUALEM‐421 along a toposequence. We inverted this data using EM4Soil software and evaluated the resultant 2‐dimensional model of true electrical conductivity (σ – mS/m) with depth against electrical conductivity of saturated soil pastes (EC_p – dS/m). Using a fitted linear regression (LR) model calibration approach and by varying the forward model (cumulative function‐CF and full solution‐FS), inversion algorithm (S1 and S2), damping factor (λ) and number of arrays, we determined a suitable electromagnetic conductivity image (EMCI), which was optimal (R² = 0.82) when using the full solution, S2, λ = 3.6 and all six coil arrays. We conducted an uncertainty analysis of the LR model used to estimate the electrical conductivity of the saturated soil‐paste extract (EC_e – dS/m). Our interpretation based on estimates of EC_e suggests the approach can identify differences in salinity, how these vary with parent material and how topography influences salt distribution. The results provide information leading to insights into how soil forming factors and agricultural practices influence salinity down a toposequence and how this can guide soil management practices.     

栽植密度对不同种源芡实生长的影响

对不同栽植密度条件下,不同种源地芡实的生长情况进行了调查研究,结果表明:不同栽植密度间芡实的叶均直径、叶最大直径、果径、果长、果质量、粒数、粒质量均无明显差异,不同栽植密度间产量存在差异;不同种源地间8项物理性状指标均无明显差异;除果长与栽植密度的交互作用对产量无影响外,其余6种性状与栽植密度的交互作用均存在差异,表明交互作用对产量有影响。7种性状与种源地的交互作用下,种源地与产量间的关联不大。     

甘蔗叶不同还田方式对土壤养分的影响

为减轻秸秆焚烧所带来的环境问题和充分利用甘蔗叶资源,在大田环境下动态监测甘蔗叶粉碎、焚烧和深埋3种还田方式对土壤养分的影响。结果表明:甘蔗叶粉碎还田和深埋还田有利于甘蔗叶中有机碳及氮、磷、钾养分的缓慢释放;甘蔗叶焚烧还田提高了土壤碱解氮含量5.6~20.9 mg/kg和速效磷含量0.8~4.0 mg/kg,促进土壤中氮磷向有效态转化,焚烧还田初期显著增加了土壤速效钾的含量12.3~18.3 mg/kg,但焚烧会损失部分甘蔗叶中碳氮元素,也造成环境污染。综合分析认为甘蔗叶粉碎还田是比较省工、方便的处理方式。     

Compatibility of root growth and tuber production of potato cultivars with dynamic and static water‐saving irrigation managements

The important root characteristics of root length density (RLD) and root mass density (RMD) generally differ among irrigation managements and potato cultivars. The objective of this study was to investigate the RLD and RMD variations and their functional relationships with gross potato tuber yield for two commercial potato cultivars, Agria and Sante, under different irrigation strategies. Full irrigation and water‐saving irrigation strategies, deficit and partial root drying irrigations, were applied statically (S) and dynamically (D) based on daily crop evapotranspiration. Results showed that SPRD had significantly greater RLD (3.64 cm/cm³) and RMD (132.7 μg/cm³) than other irrigation treatments. Between the potato cultivars, Agria had significantly larger values of RLD (3.50 cm/cm³) and RMD (138.7 μg/cm³) than Sante. The functional relationship between the root growth characteristics and tuber yield showed that under water‐saving irrigations, Agria increased root mass at the expense of gross tuber yield but Sante increased root mass to maintain larger gross tuber yields. However, Agria produced more roots and gross tuber yield than Sante, and it is concluded that Agria is a more drought‐tolerant potato cultivar, which is recommended for tuber production in regions where water might be scarce. It was shown that larger root production in potatoes was associated with improved tolerance to water stress.     

Bulk pollen pollination in maize for efficient construction of introgression populations with high genome coverage

Introgression populations consist of a set of introgression lines or families, constructed by continuous backcrossing to the recurrent parent, while carrying a limited number of chromosome segments from a donor parent in their genomes. Increasing the genome coverage is an important aim when constructing introgression population. In this study, we proposed bulk pollen pollination (BPP) method and used it to increase the genome coverage of a maize introgression population. The results showed that the genome coverage of the introgression population constructed using BPP method reached 100% at BC₃ generation, which accorded with the simulation result. The BPP‐based BC₃F_1:2 population could identify most quantitative trait loci (QTL) detected using the F_2:3 population, especially major QTL. Simulation analysis showed that the genome coverage of introgression population increased with the increase of population size and the number of bulked plants, and decreased with the increase of backcross generation. Our results proved the reliability of the BPP‐based introgression population in increasing genome coverage and detecting QTL, and provided references for constructing high‐coverage introgression populations.     

基于土壤水分下限的宁夏枸杞滴灌灌溉制度试验研究

以宁杞7号枸杞为研究对象,在宁夏同心县开展2 a田间试验.设置4个关键控水期、3个控水水平共8个处理,研究枸杞不同生育期不同水分下限条件下根区土壤含水率、叶片光合生理指标、产量与品质变化;分析其耗水规律与水分利用效率,提出基于土壤水分下限的宁夏枸杞滴灌灌溉制度.结果表明:不同水分处理枸杞根区20~60 cm土层土壤含水率最大;叶片气孔导度随土壤下限升高而增大,高水分下限处理的蒸腾速率相对较大,叶片水分利用效率则相反;生育期耗水量随土壤水分下限升高而增大,2 a增幅分别为10.8%和12.8%,平均耗水量为386.6~463.2 mm,夏果期耗水量最大且差异具有统计学意义,是关键需水期.2 a均为处理S5的产量最大分别为2 208.15和2 571.30 kg/hm²,水分利用效率最高为0.39 kg/m³;水分处理对蛋白质含量影响差异不具有统计学意义,低土壤水分下限的枸杞多糖含量相对较高;全生育期分为6个灌水期,其中萌芽期灌水(春水)为375 m³/hm²;春梢生长期、花期、夏果期、秋果期的土壤质量含水率下限分别为50%θ_f(θ_f为田间持水率),65%θ_f,65%θ_f,55%θ_f,而上限为95%θ_f;休眠期冬灌量为450 m³/hm².     

耕作方式及秸秆还田对土壤性质、微生物碳源代谢及小麦产量的影响

以小麦品种济麦22为试验材料,采用裂区试验设计,耕作方式为主区,分别设常规翻耕(C)、深松(S)、旋耕(R)处理,副区为秸秆还田量,分别设秸秆全还田(P)和秸秆不还田(A)处理,采用Biolog Eco技术测定土壤微生物碳源代谢功能,并分析土壤基本理化性质和作物产量。结果显示:深松与秸秆还田均有利于土壤含水量和有机碳含量的提高,0～15 cm土层分别提高了9.78%和24.00%,15～30 cm土层分别提高了7.08%和15.81%;深松提高了15～30 cm土层的pH值6.67%,秸秆还田提高了0～15 cm土层的pH值4.32%。深松和秸秆还田均有利于代谢多样性(丰富度指数、香浓多样性指数)、碳源代谢强度的提高,0～15 cm土层分别提高了26.84%、3.84%和38.02%,15～30 cm土层分别提高了11.87%、 3.63%和14.74%。主成分分析表明常规翻耕秸秆不还田和旋耕耕作秸秆不还田碳源代谢功能相近,15～30 cm层次内常规翻耕秸秆全还田碳源代谢功能和深松耕作秸秆全还田处理相近。深松和秸秆还田平均提高了小麦产量5.82%,微生物碳源代谢功能与小麦产量具有极显著的相关性。