Novel soil quality indicators for the evaluation of agricultural management practices: a biological perspective

Developments in soil biology and in methods to characterize soil organic carbon can potentially deliver novel soil quality indicators that can help identify management practices able to sustain soil productivity and environmental resilience. This work aimed at synthesizing results regarding the suitability of a range of soil biological and biochemical properties as novel soil quality indicators for agricultural management. The soil properties, selected through a published literature review, comprised different labile organic carbon fractions [hydrophilic dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon, permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), hot water extractable carbon and particulate organic matter carbon], soil disease suppressiveness measured using a Pythium-Lepidium bioassay, nematode communities characterized by amplicon sequencing and qPCR, and microbial community level physiological profiling measured with MicroResp^TM. Prior studies tested the sensitivity of each of the novel indicators to tillage and organic matter addition in ten European long-term field experiments (LTEs) and assessed their relationships with pre-existing soil quality indicators of soil functioning. Here, the results of these previous studies are brought together and interpreted relative to each other and to the broader body of literature on soil quality assessment. Reduced tillage increased carbon availability, disease suppressiveness, nematode richness and diversity, the stability and maturity of the food web, and microbial activity and functional diversity. Organic matter addition played a weaker role in enhancing soil quality, possibly due to the range of composition of the organic matter inputs used in the LTEs. POXC was the indicator that discriminated best between soil management practices, followed by nematode indices based on functional characteristics. Structural equation modeling shows that POXC has a central role in nutrient retention/supply, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, erosion control and disease regulation/suppression. The novel indicators proposed here have great potential to improve existing soil quality assessment schemes. Their feasibility of application is discussed and needs for future research are outlined.     

考虑土壤水平衡的灌区水资源优化配置研究

针对内蒙古河套灌区解放闸灌域地下水埋深较浅且矿化度高及黄河水量逐年减少等因素导致的农业用水严重短缺问题,本研究以解放闸灌域玉米为研究对象,耦合Jensen模型与土壤水平衡模型构建灌区尺度灌溉水资源优化配置模型,对不同的地下水埋深及土壤含水量情景下水资源优化配置方案进行研究,并利用Lingo软件编程求解模型。结果表明:当地下水埋深为2.5m时,引黄水量为3.85×10~8 m~3,可以达到5.55×10~8元的净经济效益;而土壤水含量为0.12～0.16时,净经济效益为[5.41,5.67]×108元。优化结果验证了模型在当地可行,并针对河套灌区解放闸灌域的不同土壤含水量与地下水埋深情景分别提供14种配水方案。     

Influence of soil phosphorus status,texture, pH and metal content on the efficacy of amendments to pig slurry in reducing phosphorus losses

Cost‐effective strategies for using chemically amended organic fertilizers need to be developed to minimize nutrient losses in surface and groundwater. Coupling specific soil physical and chemical characteristics with amendment type could increase their effectiveness. This study investigated how water‐extractable phosphorus (P) was affected by chemical amendments added to pig slurry and how this effect varied with soil properties. A 3‐month incubation study was conducted on 18 different mineral soils, stored at 10 °C and 75% humidity and treated with unamended and amended slurry which was incorporated at a rate equivalent to 19 kg total P (TP )/ha. The amendments examined were commercial‐grade liquid alum, applied at a rate of 0.88:1 [Al:TP ], and commercial‐grade liquid poly‐aluminium chloride (PAC ), applied at a rate of 0.72:1 [Al:TP ]. These amendments were previously identified by the authors as being effective in reducing incidental losses of P. The efficacy of the amendments varied with the soil test P, the degree of P saturation (DPS ) and the Mehlich aluminium, iron and calcium, but not soil texture. Chemical amendments were most effective in soils with DPS over approximately 20%. Due to their high cost, the incorporation of amendments into existing management practices can only be justified as part of a holistic management plan where soils have high DPS .     

油-棉连作棉田油菜秸秆覆盖对棉田杂草发生及土壤杂草种子库的动态影响

在安徽省沿江棉区开展了油菜秸秆覆盖对棉田杂草发生、棉花生长及土壤杂草种子库影响的研究。结果表明,随着油菜秸秆覆盖量的增加,对棉田杂草的抑制效果增强。与未覆盖秸秆且不除草处理相比较,7000Kg/hm²秸秆覆盖量处理棉花单株铃数和子棉产量显著提高。7000Kg/hm²秸秆覆盖量处理在覆盖后30d、60d和120d逐步减少0-20cm土层杂草种子库密度,与全程除草剂处理较一致；随着覆盖量减少,对0-20cm土层杂草种子库密度降低幅度减小。全程除草剂处理降低0-5cm土层杂草种子库多样性,而油菜秸秆覆盖则可能增加0-5cm土层的杂草种子库多样性。3500Kg/hm²覆盖量+秸秆覆盖30d后喷施除草剂处理的抑草效果和增产效果与全程除草剂处理一致。因此,在安徽省沿江棉区油-棉连作棉田推荐使用3500Kg/hm²油菜秸秆覆盖量+秸秆覆盖30d后喷施除草剂。     

水稻病虫害统防统治工作的成效与思考——来自浙江省磐安县的实践

病虫害统防统治在保障国家粮食安全和促进农民增收增效方面取得了显著成效。磐安县位于浙江省中部山区,生态环境复杂,水稻病虫害种类、种群及发生规律复杂,病虫防治压力大。本文通过2008-2016年磐安县统防统治的探索,对磐安县水稻病虫害统防统治工作的成效及存在问题进行了分析,并提出推进统防统治的对策与建议。     

关中-天水经济区人类活动对植被覆盖变化的影响

为探究植被覆盖变化及人类活动对改善关中地区及西北地区的生态环境影响,利用植被覆盖和地表温度数据,结合Sen趋势与Mann-Kendall检验分析关中-天水经济区2001—2016年的植被覆盖变化趋势,并根据估算的土壤湿度因子,应用残差法评价人类活动对植被覆盖变化的影响程度及影响方向。结果表明:1)从时间变化维度来看,2001—2016年关中-天水经济区植被覆盖变化总体呈良好趋势,且整体表现为在不断波动中递增,表明关天经济区进行的生态环境建设工程正在慢慢凸显它的生态效应。2)从空间变化维度来看,关中-天水经济区植被覆盖显著增长的区域面积占35.87%,主要集中在研究区南北两侧。而显著下降的面积区域占3.21%,主要分布在城市中心,即经济发展活跃的地区,如西安市区,宝鸡市区,天水市区,铜川市区等。3)关中-天水经济区植被覆盖受自然因素影响较小,受其他因素影响大。其正相关区域占13.43%,不显著相关区域占85.26%。4)关中-天水经济区人类活动对植被覆盖变化的正作用大于负作用。其中,正作用区域主要分布在研究区北部和东南地区,其主要原因是人类活动不频繁,建设生态屏障、加强退耕还林、三北防护林保护以及水土保持等生态工程促进植被NDVI增长。负作用区域主要分布在渭河沿线、经济活动较高地区,其主要原因有:人类活动频繁、过度城市化、工业化等抑制植被生长。5)植被覆盖的增长和下降区域与人类活动对植被影响的正作用和负作用区域大致相同。这也从侧面反映了关天经济区植被覆盖情况受人类活动影响大。总之,在负作用区域,在经济建设发展的同时也要注重植被建设、以及对植被乃至生态环境的保护。     

长武塬区苹果园和农田相互转换的深层土壤水环境效应

研究长武塬区苹果园和农田相互转换后0~1 000 cm土壤含水量特征，分析了苹果园土壤干燥化和苹果园转换为农田后土壤水分的恢复效应。结果表明：2、7、17、23、29 a苹果园200~1 000 cm的平均土壤含水量分别为22.8%、21.4%、16.8%、15.4%、14.9%。500~1 000 cm土层中，29 a苹果园平均土壤含水量（14.5%）高于23 a的果园（13.3%）；17~29 a的苹果园均表现为轻度干燥化；基于苹果园和农田转换后土壤水分变化情况估算，苹果园最大种植年限为21 a。苹果园转换为农田1、5、10 a后，农田200~1 000 cm土层土壤含水量分别为：15.3%、15.7%和16.2%，恢复到土壤稳定湿度以上的土层厚度分别为140 cm（1 a）、220 cm（5 a）和400 cm（10 a）。     

基于季节特征的土壤退墒模型建立与率定

利用河南省南阳市2011—2015年12个墒情站的土壤水分监测资料,分析研究了无增墒情况下土壤含水量消退规律,构建出基于不同季节(夏季、春秋季与冬季)的土壤含水量与衰减系数的数学模型,运用规划求解法率定模型参数,并利用2016—2017年资料对模型进行检验。结果表明,不同季节土壤水分衰竭系数模型分别为α=1.023(1-ω~2/4353)~(1/2)(夏季)、α=1.013(1-ω~2/7005)~(1/2)(春秋季)与α=1.008(1-ω~2/9303)~(1/2)(冬季),所建立的数学模型适用于南阳市相应季节壤土与粘壤土小麦、水稻与休闲地土壤旱情预测,但不适用于夏季与春秋季砂土特别是休闲地砂土土壤墒情预测。     

不同保水剂对土壤特性及烤烟生长的影响

为提高秦巴山区黄棕壤烟田的土壤性能,减少季节性干旱对烤烟生长的影响,以不施保水剂为对照,在烟田整地起垄前分别施入聚丙烯酸钾(K-PAM)、聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)和腐殖酸钾(KHm)3种保水剂,测定施用不同保水剂后的土壤容重、土壤水分和烤烟生长状况、常规化学成分及经济性状。结果表明,聚丙烯酸钾和聚丙烯酰胺保水剂均降低0～40cm土层土壤容重,在烤烟旺长期提高0～40cm土层土壤水分。不同保水剂均可提高烤烟常规化学成分含量,其中腐殖酸钾保水剂显著降低烤烟的糖碱比和氮碱比。聚丙烯酸钾保水剂提高烤烟的产量、产值、上等烟比例及净增产值,而聚丙烯酰胺和腐殖酸钾保水剂处理组则降低烤烟的净增产值。因此,建议秦巴山区黄棕壤烟田选用聚丙烯酸钾类保水剂。