Metabolite profiling of Komatsuna (Brassica rapa L.) field-grown under different soil organic amendment and fertilization regimes

Among agricultural soil fertility management options, the environmental benefits of organic amendments have recently drawn particular attention. However, little information exists about their effects on crop metabolites or quality. Field plots of Komatsuna (Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis) were planted in a fractional factorial design with the following treatments: soil amendments of cattle manure (0, 2 or 4?kg?m^?2), wheat straw (0, 0.05 or 0.1?kg?m^?2), fast release nitrogen (N) (0, 6 or 12?g?N?m^?2 of ammonium sulfate), slow release N (0, 3 or 6?g?N?m^?2 of coated ammonium nitrate), phosphorus (P) [0, 5 or 10?g phosphorus pentoxide (P₂O₅)?m^?2 of lime superphosphate] and potassium (K) [0, 6 and 12?g potassium oxide (K₂O)?m^?2 as potassium sulfate]. Metabolite profiling was carried out using a gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (GC/MS), which yielded 62 and 67 metabolites in the leaves and the petioles, respectively. Metabolite peak areas were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). The first component accounted for 44.1% of the total variance and bore a close relationship to N. The third component accounted for 8.8% of the total variance and was used to distinguish between different levels of manure application. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) of treatment factor effects on individual metabolites showed that the three most significant factors, from highest to lowest, were N absorption, manure amendments and slow release N. The effects of the manure amendments were not fully explained by its attendant N, P or K inputs. This result raises the question as to what mechanisms may bring about the metabolic changes caused by the manure amendment. The current findings will serve to direct further studies on the relationship between crop quality and cultivation procedures and will lead to more efficient quality control methods.     

Increased total nitrogen content of poultry manure by decreasing water content through composting processes

Microbial mineralization of urea and uric acid in poultry litter can lead to loss of nitrogen (N) content and its value as a fertilizer. To minimize the loss of N in the composting processes, controlling the water content in litters is a key to reduce the mineralization processes of N compounds. The N content of litter may be influenced by diets, hen age and the type of poultry houses used. The objectives of the present study were i) to determine the relationship between the water content and the decomposition rate of uric acid in poultry litter and ii) to investigate the effect of hen age and crude protein (CP) percentages in diets on the N content of poultry litter. A layer feeding trial was conducted in two poultry farms with windowless and open-floor houses. An incubation study of poultry litter was performed under different levels of water content. Our study found that the diet CP percentage (16.5–18%) and the growth stage of laying hens did not have a significant effect on the amount of total N (52–56?g?kg^?1) and uric acid-N (26–31g?kg^?1) in fresh litters. At the 7^th day of litter incubation study, the concentration of uric acid-N was 22 g kg^?1 in litters with a water content of 35%, whereas it further decreased to less than 1.3 g kg^?1 in litters with a water content of 55% and higher levels. The decomposition rate of uric acid-N in litter was 0.3–3.1g?kg^?1?day^?1 in the windowless house and 3.1–7.1g?kg^?1?day^?1 in the open-floor house. Decomposition of uric acid in litters was positively correlated to the litter moisture content that is controlled to be lower in windowless houses (40–50%) than in open-floor houses (55–80%) during the composting period. Our study suggests that the use of windowless houses for layer chicken production is effective for producing poultry manure with a high N content.     

Phosphorus compounds and their solubility in swine manure compost

In the Japanese warm areas, as a result of intensive and repeated potato cropping, common scab, a soil-borne disease has become a serious problem. The soil moisture level has been shown to be an important factor affecting the incidence of common scab. That is, a high level of soil moisture reduces the severity of common scab. However, in this investigation, although during the spring cropping precipitation was abundant, a large number of tubers showing scab lesions were produced. The results indicate that the soil moisture level may not be an important factor affecting the incidence of potato scab in the humid region.

To identify other factors which may affect scab severity, the relation between sugar content in the peel of potato tuber and the incidence of common scab was investigated. Generally, the amount of reducing sugar in the tuber peel increased gradually with the growth of the tubers, then reached a maximum level two weeks after the start of tuber formation, and thereafter declined. The period corresponding to the highest sugar content in peels coincided with the most susceptible period for scab infection. The content of reducing sugar in the peel of susceptible cultivars was higher than that of the resistant cultivars, throughout the tuber growth, and the critical value of the content was 2.0 mg per 100 g fresh peel. These results suggest that the content of reducing sugar in tuber peel may be an important factor affecting the incidence of common scab.     

Molybdenum status and critical limit in the soil for green gram (Vigna radiata) growing in Madurai and Sivagangai districts of Tamil Nadu,India

Abstract

The decay of rice residue was investigated after incubation periods of from 1 to 24 months at 30°C under both flooded and upland soil conditions. Tops and roots of rice plants were cut into about 10-mm length, and separately incorporated in soil which had been passed through a 0.5-mm sieve. Plant debris were fractionated physically according to their sizes and divided into five groups (>4 mm, 4-2 mm, 2-1 mm, 1-0.5 mm, and 0.5-0.25 mm).

Carbon loss from the soils amended with rice residues and decrease in the weight of total plant debris proceeded at a rapid speed in the early periods (around 4 months) and then at a slow speed in the subsequent periods under both flooded and uplana soil conditions. The distribution of the plant debris in the decomposition processes differed under flooded and upland conditions. Under flooded conditions, 2–4 mm-sized plant debris were retained for a long period with slow transformation into the smaller fractions. In contrast, under upland conditions, change of plant debris from large to small size fractions proceeded gradually. This continuous change could be attributed to the high decomposing activities of fungi under upland conditions.     

Potassium fertilization and soil diagnostic criteria for forage corn (Zea mays L.) production contributing to lower potassium input in regional fertilizer recommendation

Abstract

Effective soil diagnostic criteria for exchangeable potassium (Ex-K) combined with inorganic potassium (K) application rates were developed to lower K input in forage corn (Zea mays L.) production using experimental fields with different application rates and histories of cattle manure compost. Two corn varieties, ‘Cecilia’ as a low K uptake variety and ‘Yumechikara’ as a high K uptake variety, were selected from among 20 varieties and tested to make diagnostic criteria for K fertilization applicable to varieties with different K uptakes. The K uptakes increased from 96 to 303 kg K ha^?1 for ‘Cecilia’ and from 123 to 411 kg K ha^?1 for ‘Yumechikara’ with increasing Ex-K content on a dry soil basis from 0.11 to 0.92 g kg^?1 with no inorganic K fertilizer application. The K uptake by corn for achieving the target dry matter yield of 18 Mg ha^?1 was estimated to be approximately 200 kg K ha^?1 in common between the two varieties. Yields of both varieties achieved the target yield at an Ex-K content of approximately 0.30 g kg^?1 with no K fertilization, although ‘Yumechikara’ reached the target yield at a lower Ex-K content. At the low Ex-K content of 0.1 g kg^?1, inorganic K fertilizer application at 83 kg K ha^?1 was needed to gain the target yield, and apparent K recovery rate for K fertilizer was calculated to be 70% for both varieties. The K uptakes for gaining the target yield by the K fertilization were lower than that by soil K supply. Based on these results, diagnostic criteria of Ex-K and inorganic K application rates were set up as follows: at an Ex-K content of < 0.15 g kg^?1, inorganic K fertilizer is applied at 83 kg K ha^?1 (100 kg ha^?1 as potassium oxide (K₂O) equivalent); at an Ex-K content of 0.15–0.30 g kg^?1, the application rate is reduced to 33 kg K ha^?1 (40 kg K₂O ha^?1); at an Ex-K content of ≥ 0.30 g kg^?1, inorganic K fertilizer is not applied because of sufficient K in the soil. Additionally, we propose that cattle manure compost be used to supplement soil K fertility.     

Estimation of the amount of nutrients in livestock manure

(Jpn. J. Soil Sci.Plant Nutr., 77, 283–291, 2006)

Nutrient amounts in livestock manure management, including manure treatment and use, were estimated using published statistical data and other information. The eight categories for manure treatment were defined in this study as composting at facility, composting at stockyard, raw feces, dried feces, urine, slurry, purification and other. The three categories for use of manure were defined as application to farmland, sale and exchange and other.

The regional daily excretion units per head of dairy and beef cattle, including the amount of excreta, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), were calculated based on the quantities and qualities of feed in each region. There was found to be a difference in the values for Hokkaido and other regions.

Concerning manure treatment methods in the dairy sector, the sum of the proportion of raw feces and compost at stockyard was high in Hokkaido. On the other hand, the sum of the proportion of composting at facility and dried feces was high in Hokuriku, Tokai, Kinki and Shikoku. In Kyushu, the proportion of slurry production was higher than in any other region.

The amounts of N, P, and K in compost estimated in this study were compared with those calculated from published statistics. The results were as follows. The amounts of N, P, and K in dairy cattle compost, N and K in beef cattle compost, and N in poultry compost in this study were similar to the amounts cited in reported statistics. The amounts of P in beef cattle, swine, and poultry compost in this study were lower than those cited in reported statistics.

As for the use of manure, application to farmland is the most common use of manure in the dairy and beef cattle sector. The proportions of purification, and sale and exchange were high for the swine and poultry sectors, respectively.

Large amounts of liquid manure, such as urine and slurry, are applied to farmland. To clarify the nutrient load resulting from liquid manure, the usable amount of dairy slurry was calculated based on both the standard application rate of fertilizer and the area of grassland and forage crops. As a result, the amount of usable N was lower than the amount of liquid manure N in the Kanto-Tosan, Tokai and Kinki regions.     

Reduction in phosphorus availability in poultry and diary manure by mineral amendments

Abstract

Phosphorus (P) loading of soils from the repeated application of manure and the associated loss of P to water systems is a serious and increasing problem in today's agricultural landscape. The hypothesis of this study was that the application of mineral amendments to manure might reduce P availability in manure and soil without affecting crop productivity. An incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the ability of aluminum sulfate, ferric chloride or calcium hydroxide at 100 and 200 g kg^?1 of manure to reduce phytoavailable (Mehlich-3 extractable) P in liquid dairy, laying hen and broiler chicken manure. Mehlich-3 extractable P was reduced from 59 to 97% in all manure treated with aluminum sulfate and ferric chloride. The calcium hydroxide treatment resulted in a Mehlich-3 extractable P reduction ranging from ?17 to 51%. A container experiment was then carried out to examine the effect of soil with pre-treated manure on timothy (Phelum pretense L.) growth and soil P levels. Timothy yields in all dairy manure treatments were 45–57% lower compared to an N–P–K control, but were not lower compared to the untreated manure control. Dairy manure + aluminum sulfate (200 g kg^?1) reduced water-extractable P by 82% relative to the N–P–K control. All other manure and amendment treatment combinations were not statistically different from the N–P–K or the untreated soil controls in terms of water-extractable P, Mehlich-3 extractable P or grass yield. Significant reductions in Mehlich-3 extractable P were observed with the aluminum sulfate or ferric chloride amendments, while varied results were observed with the calcium hydroxide amendment. Results suggest that the use of manure amended with aluminum sulfate or ferric chloride has little effect on growth or P accumulation by timothy. Overall, this study demonstrated that mineral pre-treatment of manure can reduce the extractable P content of the manure and soil without negative effects on plant growth.     

Effects of Farmyard Manure and Inorganic Fertilizers on Sorghum Growth,Yield, and Nitrogen Use in a Semi-Arid Area of Ethiopia

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of the combined use of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizer on the growth and yield of sorghum and on soil chemical properties in a semi-arid area in northeastern Ethiopia. Twelve treatments comprising factorial combinations of four levels of farmyard manure (0, 5, 10, and 15 t ha^?1) and three levels of inorganic fertilizers (0%, 50%, and 100% of the recommended rate) were compared in a randomized complete block design with three replications over a period of six years. The results revealed significant improvements in the growth and yield of sorghum due to the main and interaction effects of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizer application. The combined application of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizers increased post-anthesis dry-matter production by 147%–390% and grain yield by 14%–36%. The main effects of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizers increased stover yield by 8%–21% and 14%–21%, respectively. Farmyard manure application increased total nitrogen (N) uptake by 21%–36%, grain protein yield by 8%–11%, and grain protein concentration by 20%–29%. Application of farmyard manure along with 50% of the recommended inorganic fertilizer rate resulted in a grain yield equivalent to, or greater than that for 100% of the recommended inorganic fertilizer rate, thus effecting a 50% savings of inorganic N and phosphorus (P) fertilizer. Application of 5, 10, and 15 t farmyard manure ha^?1along with 100% of the recommended fertilizer rate and 5, 10, and 15 t farmyard manure ha^?1 along with 50% of the recommended fertilizer rate can be recommended for farmers who can and cannot afford to buy inorganic fertilizers, respectively.     

Effect of Catch Cropping on Phosphorus Bioavailability in Comparison to Organic and Inorganic Fertilization

ABSTRACT

Phosphorus (P) is a limited resource and its efficient use is a main task in sustainable agriculture. In a 3-year field experiment the effects of catch cropping [oil radish (Raphanus sativus), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), serradella (Ornithopus sativus), ryegrass (Lolium westerwoldicum), and phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia)] of organic fertilization (cattle manure and biowaste compost) and of inorganic fertilization (Triple-Superphosphate) on plant and soil parameters were investigated on a P-poor loamy sand in Northeast Germany. The catch crops were sown in September and remained on the plots until next spring. Then the main crops oilseed rape (Brassica napus), spring barley (Hordeum vulgare), or spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) were cultivated. The yield and P uptake of the main crops were determined. Furthermore, in the soil the organic matter content, pH, phosphorus (P) in soil solution (Psol), double-lactate and oxalate P content, P sorption capacity, and degree of P saturation were measured. All applied forms of fertilizer affected the P contents in soil and the yields and P uptakes of main crops. For green fertilization especially phacelia was found to contribute to the P supply of the main crops, since it increased the P uptake as well as the P contents in soil significantly. The cultivation of ryegrass led to a reduction of the P availability in soil. For example, in average of the three years the Psol content was 0.35 mg L^{? 1}when phacelia was cultivated and 0.22 mg L^{? 1} when ryegrass was cultivated. The cultivation of phacelia had a comparable effect on soil and plant parameters as the organic and mineral fertilization. An improved P availability and P utilization by catch cropping can reduce the need for external P input which may help to save the limited P resources worldwide.     

THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN SOURCES ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SALAD ROCKET GROWN IN DIFFERENT MONTHS OF THE YEAR

The effects of months of the year and nitrogen (N) sources on salad rocket (Eruca sativa Mill.) yield, quality, and nitrate accumulation was investigated during the years 2002 and 2003. In both years, seeds were sown on the first day of April, May, June, July, August and September. Three different nitrogen sources were used: farmyard (cattle) manure (100 tonnes·ha^?1), calcium nitrate [Ca(NO₃)₂]-15.5% N (150 kg N·ha^?1) and ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄)]-21% N (150 kg N·ha^?1). Yield, leaf color, dry matter, vitamin C and total glucosinolate content and nitrate accumulation was assessed. Growing months affected all the assessed parameters significantly both years, with the exception of hue angle in 2003, whereas nitrogen source only influenced yield and nitrate accumulation in 2003. In both years the highest yield was obtained in April, but vitamin C and total glucosinolate contents were higher during summer months, and leaves were slightly darker colored. Chemical fertilizers increased the yield compared to farmyard manure; however, they also increased nitrate accumulation slightly, without any significant difference between them. Nitrate accumulation never exceeded 300 mg kg^?1 fresh weight (FW), which is well below the acceptable daily intake of 3.7 mg nitrate per kg^?1 bodyweight set by European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food.