鸡粪菌渣好氧堆肥过程中氨氧化古菌及氨氧化细菌群落的动态变化

以amo A基因为标记,通过Real-Time PCR和限制性片段长度多态性(Restriction fragment length polymorphism,RFLP)法对鸡粪菌渣好氧堆肥过程中的氨氧化古菌(Ammonia-oxidizing archaea,AOA)和氨氧化细菌(Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria,AOB)进行了丰度及群落结构的分析。结果表明,在堆制初期、好氧发酵高温期及后熟期,AOB的amo A基因丰度均占主导优势,是AOA的38~992倍。进入好氧发酵高温期,AOA amo A基因丰度下降至发酵前的0.9%,AOB下降至17.6%,后熟期AOA与AOB的amo A基因丰度与好氧发酵高温期相当。在上述3个阶段AOA与AOB各自存在一个绝对优势菌群,分别为Cluster 3和Nitrosomonas europaea,其中Cluster 3克隆子数目分别占整个克隆文库的70.73%、54.28%、72.45%,Nitrosomonas europaea克隆子数目分别占整个克隆文库的78.44%、93.20%、94.27%。堆肥3个阶段AOA的多样性指数变化不大,Shannon-Wiener值维持在1.53~1.60,但群落结构发生明显演替,随着堆肥温度升高,堆肥前期的一些菌群(Cluster 4、Cluster 5、Cluster 6)逐渐消失,新的菌群Cluster 1出现并成为堆肥中后期的第二大优势菌群。AOB无论是多样性指数还是群落组成,都发生剧烈的变化。AOB在堆肥前期Shannon-Wiener指数值最大(1.47),种群数最多(6个基因簇,分别为Nitrosomonas europaea Cluster,Nitrosomonas halophila Cluster,Nitrosomonas communis Cluster,Nitrosomonas nitrosa Cluster,Nitrosospira briensis Cluster,Nitrosospira multiformis Cluster);进入高温发酵期,Shannon-Wiener下降至0.45,群落结构单一,只有Nitrosomonas europaea Cluster和Nitrosomonas halophila Cluster;进入后熟期,AOB多样性及种群数得到一定程度的回升。     

Estimated nitrogen use efficiency,surplus, and partitioning in young apple trees grown in varied organic production systems

A certified organic apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) orchard was established to study the interaction of ground cover management systems (GMS) and nutrient sources (NS) on nitrogen (N) use efficiency and N surplus in the Southern U.S. for three years. Trees treated with green compost (GC) and wood chips (WC), regardless of the NS, had greater N accumulation and leaf N use efficiency compared to the shredded paper or mow-and-blow treated trees. The WC-treated trees had comparably low N surplus relative to the GC trees that induced more [NO₃⁻] in soil or soil solution in the rooting zone in September in year 3. GC trees had the highest [NO₃⁻] mineralization in the soil during winter. GMS had greater overall effects on the tree response variables than did the NS.     

Parthenogenesis, polyploidy and reproductive seasonality in the Taiwanese mountain earthworm Amynthas catenus (Oligochaeta, Megascolecidae)

Amynthas catenusTsai et al., 2001 is a terrestrial earthworm belonging to the Pheretima complex of the family Megascolecidae. It is endemic to Mt. Hohuan of central Taiwan at elevations of 2985-3004 m. Its reproductive organs showed various stages of degeneration in the present study. The spermathecae varied from being absent (athecal) to three pairs in VI-VIII (sexthecal), and the prostate glands from a large, symmetrical pair to complete absence. For the 44 specimens examined from May 2008 to May 2010, there were 47.7% athecals, 36.4% sexthecals and 15.9% intermediates. Results of a flow cytometric analysis showed that there were three DNA ploidy levels - diploid, triploid and tetraploid (2n, 3n, and 4n) - for the athecals but only diploid for the sexthecals. The intermediates consisted of diploids and triploids. The diploids had 2n = 112 and the triploids 3n = 168. The haploid chromosome number of A. catenus was 56. Spermatogenesis occurred throughout the year with the highest activity in summer for both athecals and sexthecals, but the number of mature ova peaked in summer for the athecals and in spring for the sexthecals. There was no significant difference in mean number of mature ova produced between the athecals and the sexthecals, but the sexthecals had significantly higher spermatogenetic activity than the athecals. For all specimens examined, sperm were present in testes and seminal vesicles but not in spermathecae, an indication of parthenogenesis in the species.     

Characterization and partial purification of a bacteriocin‐like substance produced by thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis H1 isolated from cow manure compost

The production and partial characterization of bacteriocin‐like substances (BLSs) produced by bacteria isolated from cow manure compost were investigated. Eight BLS producers, which exhibited inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria, were isolated from cow manure compost at different stages of the composting process. The pile temperature ranged from 9.1°C to 73.2°C. The BLSs showed thermostability, but the BLS producers were not thermostable except for the H1 producer. Thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis H1 was further characterized. The culture supernatant of B. licheniformis H1 exhibited antagonistic activity against various species of Gram‐positive bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes ATCC19111 but not against Gram‐negative bacteria except Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC11251. Inactivation of bacteriocin‐like activity by α‐chymotrypsin, trypsin, and papain was highly significant (P < 0.001). The BLS was found to be stable under a pH range from 3 to 9 and at temperatures up to 75°C for 60 min, but it lost activity after being autoclaved at 121°C for 15 min. The optimum production of BLS by B. licheniformis H1 was obtained at a temperature of 55°C. Sodium dodecyl sulfate – polyacrylamide electrophoresis analysis of concentrated partially purified supernatants collected after resting the bacterial cells at 55°C revealed a bacteriocin‐like protein with a molecular mass of approximately 3.5 kDa. This study is the first report of a BLS from thermophilic B. licheniformis with an animal compost origin.     

Correlation between earthworms and plant litter decomposition in a tropical wet forest of Puerto Rico

Earthworms are recognized to play an important role in the decomposition of organic materials. To test the use of earthworms as an indicator of plant litter decomposition, we examined the abundance and biomass of earthworms in relation to plant litter decomposition in a tropical wet forest of Puerto Rico. We collected earthworms at 0–0.1 m and 0.1–0.25 m soil depths from upland and riparian sites that represent the natural variation in soils and decomposition rates within the forest. Earthworms were hand-sorted and weighed for both fresh and dry biomass. Earthworms were dominated by the exotic endogeic species Pontoscolex corethrurus Müller; they were more abundant, and had higher biomasses in the upland than in riparian sites of the forest. Plant leaf litter decomposed faster in the upland than riparian sites. We found that earthworm abundance in the upper 0.1 m of the soil profile positively correlated with decomposition rate of plant leaf litter. Ground litter removal had no effect on the abundance or biomass of endogeic earthworms. Our data suggest that earthworms can be used to predict decomposition rates of plant litter in the tropical wet forest, and that the decomposition of aboveground plant litter has little influence on the abundance and biomass of endogeic earthworms.     

Manioc peel and charcoal: a potential organic amendment for sustainable soil fertility in the tropics

In tropical areas, where crop production is limited by low soil quality, the development of techniques improving soil fertility without damage to the environment is a priority. In French Guiana, we used subsistence farmer plots on poor acidic soils to test the effect of different organic amendments, bitter manioc peel (M), sawdust (Sw) and charcoal (Ch), on soil nutrient content, earthworm abundance and yard-long bean (Vigna unguiculata sesquipedalis) production. The peregrine Pontoscolex corethrurus was the only earthworm species found. Pod production and plant growth were lowest in unamended soil. The application of a mixture of manioc peel and charcoal (M + Ch) improved legume production compared with other organic mixtures. It combined the favourable effects of manioc peel and charcoal. Manioc peel improved soil fertility through its low C:N ratio and its high P content, while charcoal decreased soil acidity and exchangeable Al and increased Ca and Mg availability, thus alleviating the possible toxic effects of Al on plant growth. The M + Ch treatment was favourable to P. corethrurus, the juvenile population of which reached a size comparable to that of the nearby uncultivated soil. The application of a mixture of manioc peel and charcoal, by improving crop production and soil fertility and enhancing earthworm activity, could be a potentially efficient organic manure for legume production in tropical areas where manioc is cultivated under slash-and-burn shifting agriculture.     

Simultaneous effects of plants and earthworms on mineralisation of 15N-labelled organic compounds adsorbed onto soil size fractions

 The simultaneous impact of three successive crops of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and of the earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris L.) on the mineralisation of ¹⁵N-labelled organic compounds adsorbed to different soil size fractions (sand and organic residues >50 μm; silt 50–2 μm; coarse clay 2–0.2 μm and fine clay <0.2 μm) was studied under controlled conditions in the greenhouse. Unplanted soils (UPS) were used as controls. In planted soils without earthworm (PS) total plant biomass decreased with each cropping by up to 50%. However, in planted soils with earthworms (PES) the total plant biomass loss was only 17%. This pattern was explained by the earthworm effect. Compared to the unplanted soils, the planted soils had an increased (mean +37%) mineralisation of ¹⁵N adsorbed onto fine clays and a partial transfer of ¹⁵N to silt and coarse clay. The quantities of ¹⁵N mineralised and transferred were higher in the planted soils with earthworms, indicating an amplification of the phenomenon in the presence of earthworms. The simultaneous effect of the rhizosphere and the drilosphere did not lead to increased mineralisation of N adsorbed onto coarse clays and silts but instead a greater transfer of N associated with the fine fractions towards the coarser fractions. Received: 25 April 2000     

Growth rates,establishment, and effects on herbage yield of introduced earthworms in grassland on reclaimed cutover peat

Summary Lumbricus terrestris L. juveniles confined in nylon mesh bags grew at mean rates of 6–12 mg ind^–1 day^–1 in reclaimed peat grassland soil, while the growth rates of Aporrectodea caliginosa (Sav.) juveniles were 1.5–2.1 mg ind^–1 day^–1. Earthworm population densities exceeding 700 m² had become established within 1 year adjacent to sods transplanted from an old pasture, while microplots enclosed in nylon mesh cages had mean population densities of 318–408 earthworms m^–2 and biomass of 89–111 g m^–2 3–4 1/2 years after inoculation. Herbage yields were 25% greater in the 2nd year and 49% greater in the 3rd year in earthworm-inoculated microplots which received an annual application of cattle slurry compared with similarly fertilized, non-inoculated cages.Dedicated to the late Prof. Dr. M.S. Ghilarov     

不同秸秆还田方式对红壤性质及花生生长的影响

通过田间小区试验研究化肥配合不同秸秆还田方式对红壤养分、生物学特性和作物生长的影响。结果表明,与其他(NPK、NPKD1、NPKD2)处理相比,氮磷钾化肥配合秸秆直接还田(NPKJG)处理土壤碱解氮降低了7.88%~31.37%,速效磷降低了7.72%~23.81%。各处理土壤脲酶活性在花生的生长期间先降低后升高,而转化酶活性先升高后降低(除NPK处理的转化酶活性持续降低外)。氮磷钾化肥配合Fe SO4促腐秸秆堆肥还田处理(NPKD2)提高了土壤脲酶活性26.14%,而配合碱渣促腐秸秆堆肥处理(NPKD1)提高了土壤转化酶活性66.13%。氮磷钾化肥配合Fe SO4促腐秸秆堆肥处理土壤微生物生物量碳含量较高,且提高了花生各农艺性状指标和产量。