Effects of cover crop quality and quantity on nematode-based soil food webs and nutrient cycling

Soil food webs cycle nutrients and regulate parasites and pathogens, services essential for both agricultural productivity and ecosystem health. Nematodes provide useful indicators of soil food web dynamics. This study was conducted to determine if nematode soil food web indicators and crop yield can be enhanced by combinations of cover crops in a conservation tillage system. The effects of three cover crop treatments (vetch/pea, oat/wheat and oat/wheat/pea/vetch) with low, medium and high C:N and a bare fallow control were investigated in Davis, CA. Nematode fauna, soil properties and plant productivity were measured. Soil food web indices, including the Enrichment Index (EI), Structure Index (SI), Basal Index (BI), and Channel Index (CI), based on the composition of nematode assemblages, were calculated to infer soil food web condition. Cover cropped tomato/corn rotations had twice the number of enrichment opportunist bacterial feeding nematodes, active participants in nitrogen mineralization, than fallowed tomato/corn rotations (opportunist bacterial feeders = 163 versus 98). In winter fallowed plots food webs were basal, common in disturbed, nutrient-poor conditions (BI = 37). Total number of enrichment opportunist nematodes, soil NH₄-N levels, and inferred nitrogen mineralization, were higher in cover crop treatments with low to mid C:N ratios. Omnivore and predator nematodes were scarce, averaging less than 6 nematodes 100 g^?1 in all treatments. In year one, plant productivity was highest after fallow. In contrast, in year two productivity was highest after cover crops with high nitrogen content and productivity significantly correlated with the structure of the soil fauna. Monitoring the abundance of enrichment opportunists may provide managers with a new tool to evaluate soil food web nitrogen mineralization and plant productivity.     

Determining soil organic carbon for agricultural soils: a comparison between the Walkley & Black and the dry combustion methods (north Belgium)

Mapping soil organic carbon (SOC) and establishing any change over time are important because of CO₂ fluxes between soil and atmosphere and cropland decreases in SOC. The latter is one of the main causes of soil fertility decline and increased erodibility. As most analytical methods underestimate total SOC content, correction factors are needed to avoid methodological bias when comparing SOC data from sampling campaigns using different analytical procedures. The traditional method for SOC analysis used to be, and in most cases still is wet oxidation in potassium dichromate, better known as the Walkley & Black method. In this study, we aim to estimate correction factors for the classic and modified version of the Walkley & Black method for different land use and soil type combinations for agricultural soils in north Belgium. General correction factors of 1.47 for the classic Walkley & Black method and 1.20 for the modified Walkley & Black method are proposed. The results show that sandy grassland soils are characterised by lower recoveries than silt loam grassland soils. Furthermore, the correction factor appears to increase with soil wetness.     

Chronology of plaggic deposits; palynology,radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of the Posteles (NE-Netherlands)

Plaggic agriculture was the dominant land use system on Pleistocene sandy soils in Northwest Europe before the introduction of chemical fertilizers. In the today's landscape plaggic deposits are still recognizable as characteristic soils and landforms, related to this historical land use system. They are also important constituents of the soil archives in Northwest Europe. In preliminary studies of plaggic anthrosols, the reconstruction of the development of the plaggic deposits was based on palynological and historical data and radiocarbon dates. Disagreement appeared between palaeopedological and historical explanation of the evolution of plaggic anthrosols. Application of OSL dating improves the knowledge of chronology of plaggic deposits. The soil organic matrix, including pollen grains, consists of a complex mix of compounds of different ages and sources. Pollen diagrams of plaggic anthrosols show a palynological registration of the Late Holocene landscape evolution, but the palynological signal is not consequently correlated with the age of the plaggic sediments. An older soil organic matrix is suspended in the voids of a younger mineral soil skeleton.     

Parsimoniously modelling perennial vegetation suitability and identifying priority areas to support China's re-vegetation program in the Loess Plateau: Matching model complexity to data availability

The Chinese Central government's policy to re-vegetate large areas of the Loess Plateau is currently being rapidly implemented at the provincial, prefecture, county, township, and village levels of government. Managers at these five levels of government need access to information to assist them to plan the land use change prior to performing on-ground activities. To this end, the suitability of 38 predominately native species in the 113,000 km² Coarse Sandy Hilly Catchments (CSHC) has been mapped at a 100 m resolution. In this data-sparse region, this was achieved by using a five-variable spatial overlay approach as we were able to readily access the required environmental variables and rule-set defining the species’ requirements (or tolerances). As the rules did not consider optimal growth they were possibly ‘too inclusive’, so the spatial extent of areas suggested for re-planting was refined by defining ‘target areas’ for trees, shrubs and grasses based on precipitation, aspect, landform, and slope. In the land-use planning criteria developed here we suggest that hill-slopes and gullies with slopes greater than or equal to 15° (defined from a 100 m resolution DEM) be left for natural succession. Due to lateral flow of water, sediment and nutrients from these steep slope and gullies, further prioritising re-vegetation target areas to the zone adjacent to and down slope from these steep portions of the landscape reduces sediment entering the river network with a minimal decrease of regional stream flow. These two functions (mapping species suitability and locating where priority and target re-vegetation activities should be undertaken) are available at a 100 m resolution for the entire CSHC by accessing a bilingual decision support tool called ReVegIH (Re-Vegetation Impacts on Hydrology). Finally, an ecohydrological model was used to simulate changes in average annual stream flow originating from the CSHC based on implementing the ‘target’ and ‘priority’ area re-vegetation activities within the constraints of two land limits.     

Reactions on Nicotiana species to potato viruses A,X and Y and tobacco mosaic virus in relation to their taxonomy and geographical origin

When testing the response of species of the genusNicotiana to 14 isolates of potato viruses A (PVA), X (PVX) and Y (PVY) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), sections and section parts of the genus could be divided into five groups according to the overall reaction of their species. Species from arid regions of australia and belonging to the sectionSuaveolentes (subgenusPetunioides) were most sensitive and least resistant, whereas the sectionsPaniculatae (subgenusRustica),Tomentosae (Tabacum) andNoctiflorae (Petunioides) appeared least sensitive and most resistant. Sixty-one percent of the accessions of the latter sections proved resistant to at least two of the viruses. The most resistant species have their main geographical distribution in the central Andes (southern Peru, Bolivia and north-western Argentina), where the viruses may have originated. One other resistant species wasN. africana (Suaveolentes) indigenous to south-western Africa. The most sensitive American sections, viz.Genuinae (Tabacum) andTrigonophyllae, Alatae, Acuminatae andBigelovianae (Petunioides), were generally more sensitive than species of theSuaveolentes section from outside the arid regions of Australia. The remaining part of the genus, viz. the American sectionsThyrsiflorae andRusticae (Rustica) andUndulatae, Repandea andNudicaules (Petunioides) was intermediate between the latter group ofSuaveolentes species and the resistant group of sections with regard to sensitivity and resistance, but had a high rate of tolerance to PVA, PVX and PVY and of hypersensitivity-associated resistance to TMV. The results indicate that the viral respons in the genusNicotiana is mainly determined geographically and to a lesser extent taxonomically.Samenvatting Na inoculatie van een grote collectieNicotiana-soorten met 14 isolaten van de aardappelvirussen A (PVA), X (PVX) en Y (PVY) en tabaksmozaïekvirus (TMV), konden de secties of sectiedelen van het genus op basis van de gemiddelde reactie van hun soorten in vijf groepen worden verdeeld. Soorten uit Australische woestijngebieden en taxonomisch behorend tot de sectieSuaveolentes (subgenusPetunioides) bleken het meest gevoelig en het minst resistent, terwijl de sectiesPaniculatae (subgenusRustica),Tomentosae (Tabacum) enNoctiflorae (Petunioides) het minst gevoelig en het meest resistent waren. Van de collectienummers van de laatstgenoemde secties bleek 61% resistentie tegen minstens twee van de virussen te bezitten. De meest resistente soorten hebben hun verspreidingsgebied vooral in het centrale deel van het Andesgebergte (het zuidelijk deel van Peru, Bolivia en noord-westelijk Argentinië). Mogelijk is dit het ontstaansgebied van deze virussen. De einge andere resistente soort wasN. africana (Suaveolentes) uit zuid-westelijk Afrika. De meest gevoelige Amerikaanse secties, te wetenGenuinae (Tabacum) enTrigonophyllae, Alatae, Acuminatae enBigelovianae (Petunioides), waren gemiddeld gevoeliger danSuaveolentes-soorten die niet uit de Australische woestijnen afkomstig zijn. Het resterende deel van het genus, bestaande uit de Amerikaanse sectiesThyrsiflorae enRusticae (Rustica) enUndulatae, Repandae enNudicaules (Petunioides), stond met betrekking tot gevoeligheid en resistentie tussen laatstgenoemd deel van de sectieSuaveolentes en de groep resistente secties in, maar vertoonde in hoge mate tolerantie voor PVA, PVX en PVY en met overgevoeligheid samengaande resistentie voor TMV. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat de reacties van het genusNicotiana op virussen vooral geografisch bepaald zijn en in mindere mate taxonomisch.     

The bionomics ofLiriomyza Trifolii on Gypsophila and Bean Leaves

A study was carried out to determine the distribution of feeding and oviposition punctures made byLiriomyza trifolii Burgess on gypsophila(Gypsophila paniculata ) and bean(Phaseolus vulgaris) leaves, and the development times of the immature stages on these plants. The absolute number of punctures per leaf area was much greater on bean leaves than on gypsophila leaves. The number of mines per leaf was also higher on beans than on gypsophila, but the ratio of mines/punctures was higher on gypsophila. Gypsophila leaves were punctured on both sides, but most of the punctures were on the distal third of the upper leaf side. On beans the punctures were dispersed uniformly on the upper side of the leaf. The larval period (±SE) at temperatures of 20, 25 and 30°C was 9.9±0.2, 4.4±0.1 and 3.7±0.1, and 5.5±O. l, 3.7±0.1 and 2.4±0.1 days, on gypsophila and bean, respectively. The pupal period at 17, 20, 25 and 30°C lasted 19.9±0.2, 14.7±0.1, 10.4±0.1 and 7.8±0.1 days, respectively.     

Effect of the fungicide imazalil on hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome P-450 dependent activities in the Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus)

Bobwhite quails were treated with imazalil for 8 weeks. The fungicide was given admixed in the food at 0, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 mg kg^?1. Even at the highest dose tested, imazalil did not affect the liver weight or the hepatic microsomal protein content. In treated quails, no significant induction of cytochrome P-450 or NADPH-cytochrome c-reductase activity was observed. Furthermore, imazalil did not induce or inhibit 7-ethoxyresorufin or 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase in quail microsomes. Only a slight but significant increase by 35% and 49% in aniline hydroxylase activity was measured for the 500- and 1000-mg kg^?1 dose levels, respectively. After a drug-free period of one week, aniline hydroxylase activity returned to control values, indicating that the effect was fully reversible. It is concluded that imazalil does not induce or inhibit drug-metabolizing enzymes in the quail, even at doses which exceed by far the maximum levels currently used to dress seed under field conditions (100 mg kg^?1).     

Population studies of the citrus psylla,trioza erytreae: factors influencing dispersal

More adults of the citrus psylla,Trioza erytreae (Del Guercio) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), dispersed when the number of eggs, nymphs or adults on the citrus increased (positive correlations) and also when new leaves that were present decreased (negative correlation). More psylla were trapped close to high obstacles than in an open area, even though the obstacles were at a distance from the psylla-infested orchard.     

Inhibition of acetolactate synthase in susceptible and resistant biotypes of Stellaria media

Acetolactate synthase (ALS) from one susceptible and two chlorsulfuronresistant biotypes of Stellaria media(L.) Vill. was assayed in the presence of eight known ALS inhibitors. As expected, ALS from the chlorsulfuronresistant biotypes (R1 and R2) showed reduced sensitivity to chlorsulfuron and other sulfonylurea herbicides. The patterns of cross-resistance varied, however, indicating that the alteration in ALS that confers chlorsulfuron resistance does not confer the same level of resistance to other sulfonylurea herbicides. The resistant biotypes were highly cross-resistant to sulfometuron-methyl and DPX-A7H81, but less cross-resistant to triasulfuron. Both R1 and R2 were highly cross-resistant to DTPS (N-[2,6-dichlorophenyl]-5,7-dimethyl-1,2,4-iriazolo[1,5a]pyrimidine-2-siilfoiiamide), but only slightly cross-resistant to imazamethahenz, an imidazolinone herbicide. The differences in the patterns of cross-resistance observed presumably reflect differences in the binding affinity of the herbicides for the altered ALS. The data presented suggest, but do not confirm, that R1 and R2 contain the same ALS mutation.     

Contaminant and formulation analysis of MSMA using high-pressure liquid chromatography — graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry

High-pressure liquid chromatography with an ion-exchange column combined with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry was used to analyse commercial formulations of sodium hydrogen methylarsonate (MSMA). No arsenite or arsenate salts or dimethylarsinic acid were detected as contaminants in the formulations, and the MSMA concentrations were found to be in accordance with the concentrations given on the containers.