Soil aggregation: Influence on microbial biomass and implications for biological processes

Our 1988 paper, describing the effects of cultivation on microbial biomass and activity in different aggregate size classes, brought together the ‘aggregate hierarchy theory’ and the ‘microbial biomass concept’. This enabled us to identify the relationships between microbial and microhabitat (aggregate) properties and organic matter distribution and explain some of their responses to disturbance. By combining biochemical and direct microscopy based quantification of microbial abundance with enzyme activities and process measurements, this study provided evidence for the role of microbial biomass (especially fungi) in macroaggregate dynamics and carbon and nutrient flush following cultivation. In the last ten years environmental genomic techniques have provided much new knowledge on bacterial composition in aggregate size fractions yet detailed information about other microbial groups (e.g. fungi, archaea and protozoa) is lacking.We now know that soil aggregates are dynamic entities – constantly changing with regard to their biological, chemical and physical properties and, in particular, their influences on plant nutrition and health. As a consequence, elucidation of the many mechanisms regulating soil C and nutrient dynamics demands a better understanding of the role of specific members of microbial communities and their metabolic capabilities as well as their location within the soil matrix (e.g. aggregates, pore spaces) and their reciprocal relationship with plant roots. In addition, the impacts of environment and soil type needs to be quantified at the microscale using, wherever possible, non-destructive ‘in situ’ techniques to predict and quantify the impacts of anthropogenic activities on soil microbial diversity and ecosystem level functions.     

Soil organic carbon stock variability in the Northern Gangetic Plains of India: interaction between agro‐ecological characteristics and cropping systems

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content and its spatial distribution in the Northern Gangetic Plain (NGP) Zone of India were determined to establish the cause–effect relationship between agro‐ecological characteristics, prevailing crop management practices and SOC stock. Area Spread Index (ASI) approach was used to collect soil samples from the NGP areas supporting predominant cropping systems. Exponential ordinary kriging was found most suitable geo‐statistical model for developing SOC surface maps of the NGP. Predicted surface maps indicated that 43.7% area of NGP had 0.5–0.6% SOC, while the rest of the area was equally distributed with high (0.61–0.75%) and low (< 0.5%) SOC content levels. Averaged across cropping systems, maximum SOC content was recorded in Bhabar and Tarai Zone (BTZ), followed by Central Plain Zone (CPZ), Mid‐Western Plain Zone (MWPZ), Western Plain Zone (WPZ) and South‐Western Plain Zone (SWPZ) of the NGP. The SOC stock was above the optimum threshold (> 12.5 Mg/ha) in 97.8, 57.6 and 46.4% areas of BTZ, CPZ and MWPZ, respectively. Only 9.8 and 0.4% area of WPZ and SWPZ, respectively, had SOC stock above the threshold value. The variation in SOC stock was attributed largely to carbon addition through recycling of organic sources, cropping systems, tillage intensity, crop or residue cover and land‐use efficiency, nutrient‐use pattern, soil texture and prevailing ecosystem. Adoption of conservation agriculture, balanced use of nutrients, inclusion of legumes in cropping systems and agro‐forestry were suggested for enhancing SOC stock in the region.     

Genotypic Variation for Tolerance to Transient Drought During the Reproductive Phase of Brassica rapa

Brassica rapa L. is a genetically diverse parent species of the allotetraploid species, oilseed rape (B. napus) and a potential source of drought tolerance for B. napus. We examined the effect of a 13‐day drought stress period during the early reproductive phase, relative to a well‐watered (WW) control, on subsequent growth and development in nine accessions of B. rapa and one accession of Brassica juncea selected for their wide morphological and genetic diversity. We measured leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, water use, and leaf and bud temperatures during the stress period and aboveground dry weight of total biomass at maturity. Dry weight of seeds and reproductive tissue were not useful measures of drought tolerance due to self‐incompatibility in B. rapa. The relative total biomass (used as the measure of drought tolerance in this study) of the 10 accessions exposed to drought stress ranged from 47 % to 117 % of the WW treatment and was negatively correlated with leaf‐to‐air and bud‐to‐air temperature difference when averaged across the 13‐day stress period. Two wild‐type (B. rapa ssp. sylvestris) accessions had higher relative total and non‐reproductive biomass at maturity and cooler leaves and buds than other types. We conclude that considerable genotypic variation for drought tolerance exists in B. rapa and cooler leaves and buds during a transient drought stress in the early reproductive phase may be a useful screening tool for drought tolerance.     

Variations of SOC and MBC observed in an incubated brown loam soil managed under different tillage systems for 12 years

To assess changes in organic carbon pools, an incubation experiment was conducted under different temperatures and field moisture capacity (FMC) on a brown loam soil from three tillage practices used for 12 years: no‐till (NT), subsoiling (ST) and conventional tillage (CT). Total microbial respiration was measured for incubated soil with and without the input of straw. Results indicated that soil organic carbon (SOC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) under ST, NT and CT was higher in soil with straw input than that without, while the microbial quotient (MQ or MBC: SOC) and metabolic quotient (qCO₂) content under CT followed the opposite trend. Lower temperature, lower moisture and with straw input contributed to the increases in SOC concentration, especially under NT and ST systems. The SOC concentrations under ST, with temperatures of 30 and 35°C after incubation at 55% FMC, were greater than those under CT by 28.4% and 30.6%, respectively. The increase in MBC was highest at 35°C for 55%, 65% and 75% FMC; in soil under ST, MBC was greater than that under CT by 199.3%, 50.7% and 23.8%, respectively. At 30°C, the lower qCO₂ was obtained in soil incubated under NT and ST. The highest MQ among three tillage practices was measured under ST at 55% FMC, NT at 65% FMC and CT at 75% FMC with straw input. These data indicate the benefits of enhancing the MQ; the low FMC was beneficial to ST treatment. Under higher temperature and drought stress conditions, the adaptive capacity of ST and NT is better than that of CT.     

Interactions between crop biomass and development of foliar diseases in winter wheat and the potential to graduate the fungicide dose according to crop biomass

Foliar pathogens such as Zymoseptoria tritici and Puccinia striiformis causing septoria leaf blotch and yellow rust respectively can cause serious yield reduction in winter wheat production, and control of the diseases often requires several fungicide applications during the growing season. Control is typically carried out using a constant fungicide dose in the entire field although there may be large differences in crop development and biomass across the field. The objective of the study reported in this paper was to test whether the fungicide dose response curve controlling septoria leaf blotch and other foliar diseases in winter wheat was dependent on crop development and biomass level. If such a biomass dependent dose response was found it was further the purpose to evaluate the potential to optimize fungicide inputs in winter wheat crops applying a site-specific crop density dependent fungicide dose. The study was carried out investigating fungicide dose response controlling foliar diseases in winter wheat at three biomass densities obtained growing the crop at three nitrogen levels and using variable seed rates. Further the field experiments included three fungicide dose rates at each biomass level, an untreated control, and 75%, 50% and 33% of the recommended fungicide dose rate and the experiments were replicated for three years. Crop biomass had a significant influence on occurrence of septoria and yellow rust with greater disease severity at increasing crop biomass. In two of three years, the interaction of crop biomass and fungicide dose rate had a significant influence on disease severity indicating a biomass-dependent dose response. The interaction occurred in the two years with high yield potential in combination with severe disease attack. If the variation in crop density and biomass level obtained in the study is representative of the variation found cultivating winter wheat in heterogeneous fields, then there seems to be scope for optimizing fungicide input against foliar diseases site-specific adapting the dose according to crop density/biomass.     

Summer drought decreases Leymus chinensis productivity through constraining the bud,tiller and shoot production

Extreme drought events can directly decrease productivity in perennial grasslands. However, for rhizomatous perennial grasses it remains unknown how drought events influence the belowground bud bank which determines future productivity. Ninety‐day‐long drought events imposed on Leymus chinensis, a rhizomatous perennial grass, caused a 41% decrease in the aboveground biomass and a 28% decrease in belowground biomass. Aboveground biomass decreased due to decrease in both the parent and the daughter shoot biomass. The decreases in daughter shoot biomass were due to reductions in both the shoot number and each individual shoot weight. Most importantly, drought decreased the bud bank density by 56%. In addition, drought induced a bud allocation change that decreased by 41% the proportion of buds that developed into shoots and a 41% increase in the buds that developed into rhizomes. Above results were supported by our field experiment with watering treatments. Thus, a 90‐day‐long summer drought event decreases not only current productivity but also future productivity, because the drought reduces the absolute bud number. However, plasticity in plant development does partly compensate for this reduction in bud number by increasing bud development into rhizomes, which increases the relative allocation of buds into future shoots, at the cost of a decrease in current shoots.     

甘蓝型油菜耐低温生长生理生化响应机制

为提高甘蓝型油菜耐寒育种过程中的筛选效率，研究甘蓝型油菜耐低温机理，以8个不同抗寒性的甘蓝型油菜为材料，对低温条件下各材料的生物量、叶绿素、脯氨酸和相对电导率进行测定，发现在室外平均气温2.75℃时，抗性材料的生物量、叶绿素和脯氨酸的累积量都显著高于敏感材料，相对电导率没有显著差异；当平均气温7.52℃回升至12.39℃，抗性材料和敏感材料生物量的累积量无显著差异；在恒定低温10℃/4℃处理下抗性材料和敏感材料在处理前3周生物量均持续累积，但从第4周开始敏感材料新叶出现白斑，生物量减少，抗性材料老叶出现白斑，生物量维持不变。结果表明，耐低温材料在低温条件下叶绿素含量受到的影响较小，脯氨酸的积累量持续上升，具有较强的快速适应能力，在低温下具有显著的持续生长优势。     

广西巨尾桉2年生人工幼林生物量及生产力研究

在对广西沙塘林场巨尾桉2年生人工林调查基础上，按标准木法测定巨尾桉人工幼林生物量，建立其估算模型，计算出巨尾桉人工林分的生物量和生产力，分析各器官生物量分配规律及林分生产力水平。结果表明，2年生巨尾桉人工林年生物量为16.57 t/hm^2，其中，干、根、叶、枝、皮各器官生物量所占比例依次为46.67％、16.85％、14.62％、12.16％、9.62％。应用建立的估算模型估测巨尾桉人工幼林生物量，其相关程度达显著水平。     

关于苗木栽培技术的初步探讨

随着人民群众对生活环境和绿化水平要求的不断提升,苗木行业的市场发展可谓越来越蓬勃,行业前景也是越来越光明。因此与之相关的苗木栽培技术也受到越来越多人的关注。但目前我国苗木行业在栽培技术方面仍存在一定程度的欠缺和不足。基于此,着重对苗木栽培前期的选地、选苗等环节及栽植过程中的技术问题进行分析,希望对今后的工作有所借鉴。     

不同叶面肥对狐臭柴叶片生物量和主要生化指标的影响

以三年生狐臭柴为实验材料,设置自然光和遮光两种光照条件,用三种叶面肥进行喷施,分析不同肥料对狐臭柴叶片生物量和主要生化指标的影响。结果表明:喷施氮肥能显著提高狐臭柴叶片生物量,自然光及遮光下分别增加37.30%和15.02%,但果胶的积累减少,分别降低19.78%和17.35%;磷肥能显著提升叶片果胶的含量,分别增加158.08%和239.96%,但叶片生物量显著低于对照,分别降低55.83%和47.40%;复合肥对叶片生物量无明显影响,果胶含量轻微降低。各肥料均使可溶性糖含量降低,且在遮光条件下使叶片内可溶性蛋白含量增加,自然光下使可溶性蛋白含量降低。