Effect of soil acidification on the growth and nitrogen use efficiency of maize in Ultisols

Purpose

To examine the effect of soil acidification on growth and nitrogen (N) uptake by maize in Ultisols.

Materials and methods

A clay Ultisol derived from Quaternary red earth and a sandy Ultisol derived from tertiary red sandstone were used in this study. A pot experiment was conducted with maize growing in the two Ultisols acidified to different pH values. Urea with ¹⁵N abundance of 10.11% was used to investigate the distribution of N fertilizer between soil and plant. Total N content and ¹⁵N abundance in plant and soil samples were determined by elemental analysis-isotope mass spectrometry.

Results and discussion

Critical soil pHs of 4.8 and 5.0 were observed for maize growing in the clay and sandy Ultisols, respectively. Below the critical soil pH, increasing soil pH significantly increased maize height and the yield of maize shoots and roots (both P < 0.05), but changes in soil pH showed no significant effect on maize growth above the critical soil pH in both Ultisols. Maize growing in the sandy Ultisol was more sensitive to changes in soil pH than in the clay Ultisol. Increase in the pH in both Ultisols also increased N accumulation in maize, the N derived from fertilizer in maize, physiological N use efficiency, and N use efficiency (NUE) by maize. Changes in soil pH had a greater effect on these parameters below the critical soil pH, compared to above. The change in soil pH had a greater effect on N accumulation in maize, the N derived from fertilizer in maize, and NUE in the sandy Ultisol than in the clay Ultisol. The NUE increased by 24.4% at pH 6.0, compared with pH 4.0 in the clay Ultisol, while the NUE at pH 5.0 was 4.8 times that at pH 4.0 in the sandy Ultisol. The increase in soil pH increased the ratio of N accumulation in maize/soil residue N and decreased the potential loss of fertilizer N from both Ultisols.

Conclusions

Soil acidification inhibited maize growth, reduced N uptake by maize, and thus, decreased NUE. To maintain soil pH of acidic soils above the critical values for crops is of practical importance for sustainable food production in acidic soils.

     

Effects of genetically modified and non‐genetically modified soybeans with different heat treatments on growth and health of Cyprinidae species with different feeding habits

An 8‐week growth trial was conducted to investigate the effects of non‐genetically modified (nGM) soybean (Youchun 06‐1) and genetically modified (GM) soybean (Roundup Ready^®) with and without a heat treatment on the growth and health of three Cyprinidae species with different feeding habits (grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus, gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio, and black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus; body weight: 283.0 ± 2.0 g, 60.5 ± 0.7 g, and 261.4 ± 3.1 g). Five diets (FM, nGMS, hnGMS, GMS, and hGMS) were made with fishmeal and full‐fat soybean (Youchun 06‐1, heat‐treated Youchun 06‐1, Roundup Ready^®, and heat‐treated Roundup Ready^®). The FM diet contained fishmeal as the sole protein source. The experimental diets contained full‐fat soybean meal as 60% of dietary protein. Both temperature (60, 80, 100, and 120°C) and duration (1 and 2 hr) of heating influenced trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) and protein solubility of nGM soybean and GM soybean. The TIA in GM soybean was higher than that in nGM soybean. After heating at 120°C for 2 hr, each amino acid of soybean treatment showed a slight decline. Neither source of soybean nor heat treatment affected the growth performance, feed utilization, chemical composition of the whole fish body and muscle, and lipase or amylase activity of the three Cyprinidae species (p > 0.05). Heat treatment of soybean meal slightly increased the plasma antioxidant capacity of the three fish and plasma cholecystokinin of black carp and grass carp. The unheated soybean treatment adversely affected the height and density of black carp intestinal villi, and all the soybean treatments caused disruption of the grass carp intestinal epithelium.     

Effects of dietary vitamin C on growth,flesh quality and antioxidant capacity of juvenile golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus

To investigate the effects of dietary vitamin C on growth, flesh quality and antioxidant capacity of juvenile golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus, a 56‐day feeding trial with five graded levels of dietary VC (D1: 11.69, D2: 34.89, D3: 59.10, D4: 114.26 and D5: 227.93 mg VC per kg of diet) was performed on 375 fish (triplicate groups of 25 fish per diet, initial weight 13.57 ± 0.09 g). Results showed that fish of D3 group exhibited the maximum specific growth rate (SGR) and the highest liver enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐PX), which were consistent with the expression levels of cat and gsh‐px. Besides, the D3 group also showed higher contents of protein and lipid, and lower cooking loss, drip loss and malondialdehyde content in muscle than D1 group. The docosahexaenoic acid proportion in muscle increased with increasing dietary VC levels. Furthermore, the lowest expression levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase1 (cpt1) and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (pparα) were detected in livers of D3 group. The optimum dietary VC level was 49.73 mg/kg from the broken‐line analysis based on the SGR, in which better growth performance, antioxidative ability and flesh quality were observed in T. ovatus juveniles.     

岩石-土壤-四川牡丹元素迁移体系中的微生物效应

[目的]研究四川牡丹岩土环境背景以及微生物在元素迁移过程中的作用,为了解营养元素的表生地球化学行为规律及微生物在元素迁移体系中的作用提供理论依据。[方法]利用ICP-OES测定四川牡丹生境母岩、土壤以及种子的大量(P,S,K,Ca,Na,Mg,Al)、微量(Fe,Mn,Cu)营养元素含量,同时利用Illumina高通量测序技术测定根际土壤中细菌、真菌的组成和结构。[结果](1)四川牡丹生长土壤以弱碱富钙为主要特征,元素组成基本保留了母岩特征;(2)元素从母岩到土壤中的迁移富集系数排序为:CaNaSPMgKAlFeMnCu,植物吸收系数排序为:PSKCuMgCaNaMnFeAl;(3)碱土金属淋溶率和铝铁率对土壤细菌的多样性(Alpha)影响显著,但对真菌的影响不显著;(4)P,Mn的迁移主要受母岩控制,而Ca,Mg,Fe,S等元素的迁移富集受到了微生物的影响。[结论]细菌和真菌在元素迁移体系中的作用相似,主要参与Fe,S,Mg,Ca的相关反应过程。     

1966-2017年贵州省降雨侵蚀力的时空分布特征

[目的] 分析贵州省1966—2017年降雨侵蚀力R值的时空演变规律，为评估该地区降雨对土壤侵蚀的防治、制定水土保持措施及农业生产规划提供参考。[方法] 基于贵州省33个气象站点1966—2017年的日降雨资料，利用克里金插值法、经验正交函数（EOF）方法、Mann-Kendall检验、Morlet小波分析法等，对贵州省52 a的降雨侵蚀力R值的时空特征进行了分析。[结果] ①EOF分析方法可以较好地解释降水侵蚀力的时空分布特征，其前两个特征向量累计贡献率达52%，揭示了贵州省降雨侵蚀力全局型和东西反向型两种典型的分布模态。分析特征向量所对应的时间系数可得，贵州省的降水侵蚀力主要表现为全省全年偏大、全省全年偏小、东大西小、东小西大4种类型；②贵州省降雨侵蚀力R值年内主要受汛期降雨影响，全省各县市汛期降雨侵蚀力R值均占全年总量的60%以上；③在年际变化上，降雨侵蚀力R值存在多突变的现象，1971—1981年突变频率最为频繁。通过周期检验发现其变化主周期为28 a，次周期分别为12 a和6 a。[结论] 贵州省降雨侵蚀力的时空分布与降雨量的时空分布趋势近似，整体呈现南部大北部小，夏季大冬季小的趋势，在未来几年内降雨侵蚀力R值有上升的趋势。     

Surplus spermine does not protect salmon cells against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced stress,but excess spermine is eliminated through spermidine/spermine N1‐acetyltransferase (SSAT)

The present trials tested the efficiency of surplus spermine to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress following LPS‐induced stress using an in vitro model of head kidney and liver cells isolated from Atlantic salmon. Spermine did not protect cells from LPS‐induced inflammatory response at either 0.3, 0.6 or 0.9 mM. However, as the gene expression of spermidine/spermine N1‐acetyltransferase (SSAT) increased with increasing spermine concentration, we addressed possible oxidative effects of the increased SSAT using its activator DENSPM or inhibitor of polyamine oxidation of the acetylated polyamines using MDL72527 at a spermine concentration of 0.6 mM. There was no significant effect of DENSPM, but MDL72527 decreased gene expression of GPX‐3 (p = .04), while gene expression of catalase and MnSOD was unaffected by treatment (p = .30 and p = .48, respectively). In conclusion, spermine did not protect cells from LPS‐provoked inflammation. The higher the spermine concentration, the more SSAT producing acetylated spermine occurred. Inhibiting the acetylated polyamine oxidases by MDL72527 improved oxidation status as expected due to a lower endogenous production of H₂O₂ by polyamine and acetylated polyamine oxidases. Probably care should be taken using polyamines or arginine as functional ingredients to avoid any increased oxidation within cells.     

宁夏玉米营养成分近红外分析模型建立与应用

研究采集宁夏区内各市县(固原、海原、同心、中卫、中宁、永宁、平罗)抽取玉米样品120批,用近红外分析仪扫描定标样品集获得玉米近红外光谱图,利用偏最小二乘法建立模型,并分别经过无预处理、均值中心化、标准正态变量转换、一阶导数、标准正态变量转换结合去趋势校正(SNV+D)预处理光谱,获得水分、粗蛋白、粗脂肪、粗纤维预测模型,分别是经过MC、SNV+D、SNV+D、SNV+D光谱预处理后效果最好。预测决定系数R² _p分别为0.951、0.976、0.728、0.897,相对分析误差RPD除粗脂肪为2.62外,其他均大于3的近红外预测模型,通过预测模型验证集验证后,并对模型预测值与实测值进行U检验,结果为差异不显著(P>0.05)。该近红外预测模型对玉米中水分、粗蛋白、粗纤维具有较佳预测效果,粗脂肪的预测精度有待进一步提高。     

Remediation of saline-sodic soil using organic and inorganic amendments: physical,chemical, and enzyme activity properties

Purpose

Crops grow poorly in saline-sodic soils, and the productivity of these soils can be dramatically improved with proper amendments. Current research mainly focuses on either organic or inorganic soil amendments, whereas few studies address options of combining organic and inorganic amendments. The objective of this study was to develop new organic and inorganic soil amendments which can lower the soil pH, replace sodium, and improve soil structure.

Materials and methods

Polyhalite (PL), microporous potassium-silicon-calcium mineral fertilizer (MF), furfural residue (FR), and fulvic acid (FA) were mixed with four different ratios to produce organic and inorganic soil amendments: PLFR, PLFA, MFFR, and MFFA. And their optimum mixing ratios were determined by comparing the potassium, calcium concentrations, and pH of filtrate after dissolution. Then, a leaching experiment was conducted by packing mixtures (mass ratio of soil to amendment = 219:1, equivalent to 13 t/hm²) of the saline-sodic soil with each one of these amendments plus two contrasts, gypsum (GP), and no amendment (CK). And the remediation effect was compared by pH, EC, ESP, texture, organic recombination degree of clay, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water-stable aggregates fraction, and enzyme (urease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase) activities of soil.

Results and discussion

After four times leaching experiment, soil treated with PLFR had lower pH and 25.86% lower exchangeable sodium than untreated soils. The water-stable small macroaggregate fractions and saturated hydraulic conductivity of the MFFR-treated soils were significantly increased by 133% and 31%, respectively. Also, the total soil and heavy fraction organic carbons of the soils treated with MFFR in addition to its alkaline phosphatase activity were all significantly higher than the other treatments.

Conclusions

The results revealed that MFFR has more potential as a soil amendment to improve soil structure and quality and thus help in the development and use of saline-sodic lands for agriculture.

     

新型脱叶剂欣噻利在赣北棉花上的应用效果初报

为考察新型脱叶剂欣噻利在赣北的使用效果，以中棉所425为试验材料，进行脱叶剂处理试验。结果表明: 喷施欣噻利1800～2700 mL·hm^－2有较好的脱叶催熟效果，在此范围内其剂量越大，脱叶催熟的效果越好；喷施欣噻利对棉花铃重、铃壳质量、衣分以及纤维品质没有显著影响。     

Effect of substitution of dietary fish meal by soybean meal on different sizes of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio): digestive enzyme gene expressions and activities,and intestinal and hepatic histology

A 7‐week growth trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary soybean meal (SBM) on digestive enzyme activity of intestinal mucosa, mRNA levels of digestive enzymes in hepatopancreas, and the mid‐intestinal and hepatopancreas histology of gibel carp CAS III (Carassius auratus gibelio). Four different growth phases of gibel carp (initial body weight: fry, 0.8 g; juvenile, 5.0 g; 1‐year‐old, 62.7 g; and broodstock, 135.6 g) were tested. Seven isonitrogenous and iso‐energetic diets were formulated to contain different SBM replacement levels (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% of dietary fish meal protein), and another diet (SBMAA) contained all SBM protein and supplied crystalline amino acids. The results showed that the activities of mid‐intestine trypsin, α‐amylase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase reduced with increased dietary SBM, while the chymotrypsin activity increased first and then decreased. The ultrastructures of intestinal epithelial cells and hepatopancreas cells in fry and broodstock fish were distinctly affected by 200 g kg^‐1 dietary SBM. Supplementation of dietary amino acid to the highest replacement groups was not sufficient to improve digestive and absorptive capacities and growth performance. Gibel carp may be adapted to dietary SBM through increase in gene expression of hepatopancreas digestive enzymes and has potential to utilize proceeded SBM as feedstuffs.