Impact of organic residues and mineral fertilizer application on soil–crop system: II soil attributes

The effects of crop residues alone (Cr⁺) or combined with inorganic fertilizer (FCr⁺) sewage sludge (SS) and humentos (H) on soil properties were studied in a five-season wheat–guar rotation. Incorporation of Cr⁺ and SS significantly decreased pH by 5–9%. Highest organic carbon (OC) was observed in SS plots, whereas Cr⁺ resulted in values threefold that of the control. The added effect of Cr⁺ (46%) combined with fertilizer on total nitrogen (TN) was greater than Cr⁺ by 28%. The fraction of total residue N mineralized was 71%, whereas net N mineralized in Cr⁺, SS, H and FCr⁺ plots at 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths were 39.8, 52.3, 11.4, 66.7 mg kg^?1 and 21.2, 27.9, 8.2, 41.2 mg kg^?1, respectively. Integrated application of Cr⁺ with fertilizer had a synergistic effect on P content (3.49–3.69 units), but soil levels has never exceeded 13 mg P kg ^?1. Sole Cr⁺ significantly increased topsoil cation-exchange capacity (CEC) compared with the control treatment (9.39–21.59%). Application of SS, FCr⁺ and Cr⁺ significantly increased water-holding capacity and decreased bulk density by 9–15% and 8–9%, respectively, suggesting that such practice can restore the productivity of degraded soils and improve crop yields.     

Long-Term Effect of Fertilizer and Rice Straw on Mineral Composition and Potassium Adsorption in a Reddish Paddy Soil

Increasing K⁺ adsorption can be an effective alternative in building an available K pool in soils to optimize crop recovery and minimize losses into the environment. We hypothesized that long-term fertilization might change K⁺ adsorption because of changes in the chemical and mineralogical properties of a rice (Oryza sativa L.). The aims of this study were (i) to determine clay minerals in paddy soil clay size fractions using X-ray diffraction methods and a numerical diagram-decomposition method; (ii) to measure K⁺ adsorption isotherms before and after H₂O₂ oxidation of organic matter, and (iii) to investigate whether K⁺ adsorption is correlated with changes in soil chemical and mineral properties. The 30-yr long-term fertilization treatments caused little change in soil organic C (SOC) but a large variation in soil mineral composition. The whole-clay fraction (<5 μm) corresponded more to the fertilization treatment than the fine-clay fraction (<1 μm) in terms of percentage of illite peak area. The total percentage of vermiculite-chlorite peak area was significantly negatively correlated with the total percentage of illite peak area in the <5 μm soil particles (R=-0.946, P<0.0006). Different fertilization treatments gave significantly different results in K⁺ adsorption. The SOC oxidation test showed positive effects of SOC on K⁺ adsorption at lower K⁺ concentration (?120 mg L^?1) and negative effects at higher K⁺ concentration (240 mg L^?1). The K⁺ adsorption by soil clay minerals after SOC oxidization accounted for 60–158% of that by unoxidized soils, suggesting a more important role of soil minerals than SOC on K⁺ adsorption. The K⁺ adsorption potential was significantly correlated to the amount of poorly crystallized illite present (R=0.879, P=0.012). The availability of adsorbed K⁺ for plant growth needs further study.     

护堤固岸箣竹林营造技术

从苗木选择、整地造林以及林分的管护等方面详细介绍了护堤固岸林箣竹林的营造技术,调查了箣竹林的生长情况,表明箣竹林生长良好,能起到保持水土、护堤固岸作用。     

Phosphorus and aluminium solubility relationships in acidic lowbush blueberry barren soils in Maine

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is a native plant that is not cultivated, but managed in areas of sufficient plant density to provide commercial yields. A cropping systems study was initiated to compare how organic and three levels of conventional (low, medium and high input) management practices affected soil properties at 12 grower fields in the lowbush blueberry barrens of Maine. The fields under organic and low‐conventional treatments did not receive any fertilizer inputs. The high and medium conventional treatment fields received optimal and reduced diammonium phosphate inputs, respectively. Three measurements of soil P (modified‐Morgan soil test, oxalate extractable and total P) showed no significant effect of management treatment on the phosphorus status of the soils. This suggests that soil P may be leaching below the 0–10 cm rooting zone which was investigated in this study. Equilibrium chemical speciation of soil/water extracts showed that gibbsite was controlling the solubility of Al in these barren soils and that P was undersaturated with respect to amorphous Al(OH)₂PO₄. A laboratory one‐point P sorption study showed that dissolved organic matter derived from the organic pad sampled from the study sites did not inhibit the adsorption of the added P. This suggests that addition of carbon‐rich soil amendments such as compost may not increase P bioavailability of these acidic soils with high Al (oxy)hydroxide (gibbsite) mineral content.     

Response of Soil and Plant to Boron-Doped Aluminum Hydroxide

The aims of this work are to test whether boron (B) may alleviate soil acidification and aluminum (Al) phytotoxicity to rape (Brassica napus L.) in acidic soil. The Al hydroxide that reacted with borax was called ad-B-Al hydroxide. Point of zero charge (PZC) of Al hydroxide (pH 4.86) was greater than that of ad-B-Al hydroxide (pH 4.68). Compared with the control, ad-B-Al hydroxide raised the soil pH significantly by 0.10 pH units. Rape was planted in the control soil, the soil treated with Al hydroxide, and the soil treated with ad-B-Al hydroxide. It was found that the B content of the soil and rape seedlings grown on the soil treated with ad-B-Al hydroxide was greater than the others. Biomass production of rape seedlings grown in the soil treated with ad-B-Al hydroxide was significantly increased compared to that in the others. These demonstrated that ad-B-Al hydroxide can be an important source of B for plants and alleviate acidity of acidic soils because it can decrease exchangeable acid and Al toxicity in soil significantly.     

Pulverizing Soils for Laboratory Analysis

Soil-testing laboratories utilize a range of grinder types to pulverize soils for laboratory analysis. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of soil particle diameter and laboratory subsample size on analysis variability on nitrate, Bray 1 extractable phosphorus (P), extractable potassium (K), and soil organic matter (SOM). Four soils collected for the Agricultural Laboratory Proficiency Program were pulverized using four types of commercial grinders and analyzed for particle-size distribution, P, and K. In a second study, soils were pulverized to pass sieves of 2.0, 1.0, and 0.50 mm and subsampled for P, K, and SOM. Results of the commercial grinders indicate a range in mean particle diameters from 0.15 to 0.60 mm, with the lowest for the grinder utilizing a hammer mill design. Sieve-size analysis results indicate that the coarsest 2.0-mm fraction had the largest variability for all soil analyses evaluated. Analyte variability decreased with decreasing sieve size. Mean Bray P, K, and SOM-LOI (Loss-on-Ignition) mean concentrations were not statistically significantly different across the sieve sizes evaluated. Laboratory analysis variability for extractable Bray P increased as subsample size was reduced.     

Soil Chemical Properties and Nutrient Composition of Cocoyam Grown in an Organically Fertilized Soil

ABSTRACT

Field experiments were conducted for two consecutive years to evaluate the influence of cow dung and rice husk application rates on soil chemical properties and nutrient composition of cocoyam cormels. The treatments comprised four rates each of cow dung and rice husk (0, 10, 20, and 30 t/ha) arranged as a factorial experiment using randomized complete block design with three replicates. The treatments were incorporated into the soil 2 weeks before planting of cocoyam each year. After 2 years of cropping, soil samples were collected from the respective plots and analyzed so also cocoyam cormels. Cow dung application positively and significantly (P < .05) affected soil pH, organic matter (OM), and the soil nutrients (r = 0.95, 0.98, and 0.94–1.00, respectively) while rice husk application significantly and positively influenced soil OM, nitrogen and phosphorus (r = 0.98, 0.95, and 0.98, respectively). Aside potassium content that was enhanced, cow dung application did not significantly affect the nutrient composition of the cocoyam cormels. However, 30 t/ha of applied rice husk caused significant reduction in crude protein and fiber contents but significant increase in carbohydrate. There was negative and significant correlation between rice husk and the cormels crude protein (r = ?0.97). A total of 20 t/ha each of the organic fertilizers was found to be optimum for improving soil fertility and invariably yield without compromising the nutrient content of the cocoyam cormels.     

Determination of nitrite in soil extracts and water samples by a nitrogen oxide electrode

Abstract

Work to evaluate the Orion nitrogen oxide electrode indicated that this electrode can be used satisfactorily for determination of nitrite in soil extracts and water samples. The electrode method of analysis described is simple, rapid, and precise, and its results agree closely with those obtained by the colorimetric method of Griess‐Ilosvay. The electrode method has the advantage that its results are not affected by color or turbidity or by Cu²⁺ and Hg²⁺ present in samples under analysis     

Boron Fertilization in Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in an Inceptisol of West Bengal,India

This study is a synthesis of information on growth, yield, and boron-use efficiency of hybrid sunflower (cultivar Aditya) in an inceptisol (Gangetic alluvium) of West Bengal, India, under varied proportions of soil and foliar-applied boron. Foliar spray of boron (B), under all circumstances, performed better than soil application of B fertilizers with regard to sunflower seed and total dry-matter yield, B uptake, and B-use efficiencies, while 0.2 percent foliar B spray was associated with greatest B recoveries, B-use efficiencies, and sunflower seed yields in the experimental years.     

河西走廊农地适度经营规模计量研究——基于578农户调查的研究

研究适度农地经营规模确定方法并合理确定河西走廊农地适度经营规模。运用生产函数模型对农户劳均经营规模和户均经营规模进行计量分析。研究结果:1)河西地区农业生产处于规模报酬递减阶段。2)在劳动力、资本和土地三大投入要素中,土地对产量的贡献最大。3)现有技术条件下,河西地区劳均最优规模和户均最优规模均远远大于现有规模。研究结论:加快土地流转和剩余劳动力转移促进农地规模经营。