Management strategies for forage rape (Brassica napus L. cv Goliath): Impact on dry-matter yield,plant reserves,morphology and nutritive value

Limited information is available on the grazing management principles of forage rape (Brassica napus L.), particularly in relation to grazing height and intensity and the impact of these on dry-matter (DM) yield and nutritive value. A glasshouse study was undertaken to investigate the effect of three defoliation heights (plant height at harvest; DH: 40, 70 and 90 cm; L, M and H DH respectively) and three defoliation intensities (height at which plants were cut; DI: 5, 20 and 35 cm of residual height; H, M and L DI respectively) on forage rape (cv Goliath) yield and nutritive value at two harvests (harvest 1, H1 and harvest 2, H2), and the impact of nitrogen (N) and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) reserves on regrowth. Increasing DH from L to H increased estimated total DM yield (H1 plus H2) from 0.5 to 4.6 t DM/ha but DI did not affect yield. Dry-matter yield was optimized at 90 cm DH, but greater nutritive value was achieved by harvesting at lower levels of DH. Despite high in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD; 852–889 g/kg), harvesting at 90 cm DH could not meet the protein requirement of lactating dairy cows and harvesting at lower levels risks nitrate poisoning. Our results indicate the optimum DH may be between 70 and 90 cm DH, and 20 and 35 cm DI, which requires further studies.     

土壤微生物生物地理学：国内进展与国际前沿

土壤微生物生物地理学是研究土壤中微生物空间分布格局及其随时间变化的一门科学,是土壤微生物学和微生物生态学等领域的研究前沿。近年来,尽管土壤微生物生物地理学研究取得了巨大进展,目前仍面临诸多难题与挑战。本文简要回顾了土壤微生物生物地理学的发展历程,重点介绍近年来我国在森林、草地和农田生态系统中土壤微生物生物地理学研究的主要进展。同时进一步阐述了目前土壤微生物生物地理学研究的国际前沿方向,包括微生物群落空间分布及其驱动机制、群落构建过程与共存网络、微生物地理分布与生态系统功能的关联以及预测微生物群落对全球变化的响应。最后,对土壤微生物生物地理学未来的研究方向进行了展望,强调了清晰的微生物物种定义、微生物群落的时间动态、多组学与合成生物学技术以及高精度的预测模型在土壤微生物生物地理学研究中的重要性。     

浅谈“十四五”土壤肥力与土壤养分循环分支学科发展战略

土壤肥力与土壤养分循环分支学科是土壤学科中应用性较强的学科,悠久的发展历史积累了极为丰富的文献资料,在评价和利用土壤资源,提高作物产量和养分利用率,减少环境污染中发挥着重要作用。"十四五"期间土壤肥力与土壤养分循环分支学科应加强土壤养分转化过程、速率、产物及其影响因素的基础性研究。鉴于我国大宗作物种植强度下降,集约化设施种植面积增加的两极化发展现状和减肥减药维持生态环境安全的国家需求,"十四五"期间,土壤肥力与土壤养分循环分支学科应加强以下针对性研究:1)休耕轮作对土壤肥力的影响及通过休耕轮作维持和提高土壤肥力的原理、途径和方法;2)高度集约化种植条件下快速恢复土壤肥力,保持土壤健康和有效利用土壤养分的科学管理原理、途径和方法;3)实现土壤-作物-环境相互契合,充分发挥土壤肥力,高效利用土壤养分的基础科学问题。     

黄淮海与环渤海设施蔬菜产区重金属累积特征和环境质量评价

黄淮海与环渤海设施蔬菜产区是全国蔬菜发展的六大优势产区之一。通过收集2011～2019年黄淮海与环渤海设施菜田重金属研究的文献数据,对该区域重金属污染和环境质量进行了统计分析。结果表明,黄淮海与环渤海设施蔬菜产区土壤重金属Cu、Zn、Cr、Ni、Pb、Cd、As和Hg的平均含量均低于温室蔬菜产地环境质量评价标准限量值。与各个省市土壤背景值相比,土壤出现了明显的Cu、Zn、Cd和Hg累积,Cr和As均没有出现累积。8种重金属元素单项污染指数范围在0.30～0.80,排序依次为:CdPbHg=NiZnCuAsCr,仅Cd处于警戒等级,其余重金属元素均处于清洁等级。8种重金属综合污染指数平均值为0.75,表明该区域重金属污染处于警戒水平,需采取相应的污染防控措施。     

便携式XRF仪现场快速测定土壤中Pb的可行性研究

便携式XRF分析仪具有轻便、快速和可测对象较多与测量元素较广等特点而广泛应用于矿石、土壤等方面快速检测,但土壤的现场快速测定结果的准确性有待进一步研究与探讨。以安宁河谷平原土壤中Pb为研究对象,通过对便携式XRF仪现场快速检测结果与实验室分析结果的对比和影响因素的分析,建立基于安宁河谷平原表层土壤快速测定结果的线性函数为y=1.170 9x-17.326 0(R~2=0.992 9,x为现场检测结果),探讨其影响因素,为该区域表层土壤中Pb快速检测结果提供依据。     

Effects of biodegradable mulch on soil quality

Biodegradable plastic films are desirable alternatives to traditional black polyethylene plastic for use as mulches in agroecosystems. Efforts are ongoing to engineer biodegradable plastic mulches that could be incorporated into the soil at the end of the crop season, and decomposed by microorganisms, ultimately to CO₂, H₂O, and biomass. Whether changes in soil quality occur during or following biodegradation is unknown. An 18-month study evaluated the effects on soil quality following burial of four potentially biodegradable mulches and a no mulch control in high tunnel and open field tomato production systems across three geographically distinct locations (Knoxville, TN; Lubbock, TX; Mount Vernon, WA). The mulch treatments included: two starch-based mulches (BioAgri^® Ag-Film and BioTelo Agri); one experimental 100% polylactic acid mulch (Spunbond-PLA-10); one cellulose-based mulch (WeedGuardPlus; positive control); and a negative control (no mulch). The soil management assessment framework (SMAF) was used to calculate a soil quality index (SQI) according to five dynamic soil properties: microbial biomass carbon, β-glucosidase, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon (TOC), and pH. Within the 18-month evaluation period, the effects of the biodegradable mulches on the SQI were minor, and dependent upon production system and time of incubation at all locations. In general, the SQI was higher in the high tunnel systems for some of the mulch treatments at Knoxville and Lubbock but the opposite was true at Mount Vernon. By the final sampling at 18 months, the SQI was lowest for WeedGuardPlus at Lubbock and Mount Vernon but at Knoxville, the WeedGuardPlus SQI was not significantly different from the no mulch control. Of the five SMAF indicators evaluated, soil microbial biomass and β-glucosidase activity were the most responsive to mulch and production systems, supporting the use of these variables as soil quality indicators for short-term changes due to this agricultural management practice.     

Soil sterilization effects on root growth and formation of rhizosheaths in wheat seedlings

Sterilized soils are frequently used in experiments related to soil biology. Soil sterilization is known to alter physicochemical characteristics of soil, plant growth and community structure of the newly developed bacterial population. However, little information exists regarding soil sterilization effects on belowground processes mediated through root–microbe–soil interactions, e.g., development of rhizosheaths which significantly promote the plant growth under stress environments. The present study was conducted to elucidate effects of soil sterilization on wheat root growth and formation of rhizosheaths in relation to chemical changes caused by soil sterilization and the proportion of expolysaccharide (EPS)-producers in bacterial population recolonizing the sterilized soils. Wheat plants were grown for two weeks under greenhouse conditions either in the unsterilized soil or in soils sterilized by autoclaving (121 °C, 1 h) or by gamma (γ)-irradiation (50 kGy). While soil sterilization had no effect on the release of macronutrients, both sterilization procedures significantly increased the electrical conductivity, water-soluble carbon and DTPA-extractable Mn. Seedlings grown in sterilized soils produced higher root biomass and the rhizosheath soil (RS) mass as compared to those grown in the unsterilized soil. Soil sterilization also increased the root length, surface area, volume and number of tips. In bulk soil, RS and on roots, the proportion of EPS-producers in the total bacterial population was higher in sterilized treatments than in the unsterilized. Amending the unsterilized soil with glucose-C increased the root biomass, whereas adding Mn II increased the RS mass. The results showed that soil sterilization by autoclaving or γ-irradiation increases the root growth and RS mass of wheat seedlings. The water-soluble C and DTPA-extractable Mn released upon sterilization, and the increased proportion of EPS-producers in the bacterial population recolonizing the sterilized soils were involved in the observed effects. The results may have implications in studies using autoclaved or γ-irradiated soils to investigate soil–plant–microbe interactions and signify the need to account for intrinsic stimulatory effects of soil sterilization.     

Strong functional stability of soil microbial communities under semiarid Mediterranean conditions and subjected to long-term shifts in baseline precipitation

We investigated the effect of soil microclimate on the structure and functioning of soil microbial communities in a Mediterranean Holm-oak forest subjected to 10 years of partial rain exclusion manipulations, simulating average drought conditions expected in Mediterranean areas for the following decades. We applied a high throughput DNA pyrosequencing technique coupled to parallel measurements of microbial respiration (R_H) and temperature sensitivity of microbial respiration (Q₁₀). Some consistent changes in the structure of bacterial communities suggest a slow process of community shifts parallel to the trend towards oligotrophy in response to long-term droughts. However, the structure of bacterial communities was mainly determined by short-term environmental fluctuations associated with sampling date (winter, spring and summer) rather than long-term (10 years) shifts in baseline precipitation. Moreover, long-term drought did not exert any chronic effect on the functioning of soil microbial communities (R_H and Q₁₀), emphasizing the functional stability of these communities to this long-term but mild shifts in water availability. We hypothesize that the particular conditions of the Mediterranean climate with strong seasonal shifts in both temperature and soil water availability but also characterized by very extreme environmental conditions during summer, was acting as a strong force in community assembling, selecting phenotypes adapted to the semiarid conditions characterizing Mediterranean ecosystems. Relations of climate with the phylogenetic structure and overall diversity of the communities as well as the distribution of the individual responses of different lineages (genera) to climate confirmed our hypotheses, evidencing communities dominated by thermotolerant and drought-tolerant phenotypes.     

Contrasting development of soil microbial community structure under no-tilled perennial and tilled cropping during early pedogenesis of a Mollisol

A range of agricultural practices influence soil microbial communities, such as tillage and organic C inputs, however such effects are largely unknown at the initial stage of soil formation. Using an eight-year field experiment established on exposed parent material (PM) of a Mollisol, our objectives were to: (1) to determine the effects of field management and soil depth on soil microbial community structure; (2) to elucidate shifts in microbial community structure in relation to PM, compared to an arable Mollisol (MO) without organic amendment; and (3) to identify the controlling factors of such changes in microbial community structure. The treatments included two no-tilled soils supporting perennial crops, and four tilled soils under the same cropping system, with or without chemical fertilization and crop residue amendment. Principal component (PC) analysis of phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles demonstrated that microbial community structures were affected by tillage and/or organic and inorganic inputs via PC1 and by land use and/or soil depth via PC2. All the field treatments were separated by PM into two groups via PC1, the tilled and the no-tilled soils, with the tilled soils more developed towards MO. The tilled soils were separated with respect to MO via PC1 associated with the differences in mineral fertilization and the quality of organic amendments, with the soils without organic amendment being more similar to MO. The separations via PC1 were principally driven by bacteria and associated with soil pH and soil C, N and P. The separations via PC2 were driven by fungi, actinomycetes and Gram (−) bacteria, and associated with soil bulk density. The separations via both PC1 and PC2 were associated with soil aggregate stability and exchangeable K, indicating the effects of weathering and soil aggregation. The results suggest that in spite of the importance of mineral fertilization and organic amendments, tillage and land-use type play a significant role in determining the nature of the development of associated soil microbial community structures at the initial stages of soil formation.     

Organic farming fosters agroecosystem functioning in Argentinian temperate soils: Evidence from litter decomposition and soil fauna

Benefits of organic farming on soil fauna have been widely observed and this has led to consider organic farming as a potential approach to reduce the environmental impact of conventional agriculture. However, there is still little evidence from field conditions about direct benefits of organic agriculture on soil ecosystem functioning. Hence, the aims of this study were to compare the effect of organic farming versus conventional farming on litter decomposition and to study how this process is affected by soil meso- and macrofauna abundances. Systems studied were: (1) organic farming with conventional tillage (ORG), (2) conventional farming with conventional tillage (CT), (3) conventional farming under no-tillage (NT), and (4) natural grassland as control system (GR). Decomposition was determined under field conditions by measuring weight loss in litterbags. Soil meso- and macrofauna contribution on decomposition was evaluated both by different mesh sizes and by assessing their abundances in the soil. Litter decomposition was always significantly higher after 9 and 12 months in ORG than in CT and NT (from 2 to 5 times in average), regardless decomposer community composition and litter type. Besides, mesofauna, macrofauna and earthworm abundances were significantly higher in ORG than in NT and CT (from 1.6 to 3.8, 1.7 to 2.3 and 16 to 25 times in average, respectively for each group). These results are especially relevant firstly because the positive effect of ORG in a key soil process has been proved under field conditions, being the first direct evidence that organic farming enhances the decomposition process. And secondly because the extensive organic system analyzed here did not include several practices which have been recognized as particularly positive for soil biota (e.g. manure use, low tillage intensity and high crop diversity). So, this research suggests that even when those practices are not applied, the non-use of agrochemicals is enough to produce positive changes in soil fauna and so in decomposition dynamics. Therefore, the adoption of organic system in an extensive way can also be suggested to farmers in order to improve ecosystem functioning and consequently to achieve better soil conditions for crop production.