Phosphorus fractions and dynamics as affected by land-use changes in the Central Mexican highlands

Land-use change from forest to agriculture in the volcanic ash-derived soils of Mexico has increased over recent decades. It is likely that land uses and management practices, particularly fertilizer use have affected phosphorus (P) distribution and availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of land-use types (native forest and maize mono-cropping), and the related P addition, on the forms and distribution of soil P and their isotopic exchangeability. An Andisol, sampled from a cropping site, along with the contiguous area under native forest was treated with ³²P-labelled potassium phosphate (KH₂³²PO₄). The soil samples were extracted after incubation times of 7, 21, 35 and 49 days. Phosphorus content and ³²P recovery in fractions sequentially extracted were assessed for each incubation time. Total soil P was dominated by inorganic fractions (79 to 86%) in both land-use types. Resin-Pi, bicarbonate extractable inorganic P (Bic-Pi) and sodium hydroxide extractable inorganic P (NaOH_0.1-Pi) were all raised with P addition. However, the proportion of organic P fraction was reduced under cropped soil. The recovery of ³²P in soils with P addition indicates that resin-Pi, Bic-Pi and NaOH_0.1-Pi comprised nearly all the exchangeable P. In native soils with no P addition, more than 19% of the ³²P was recovered in Bic-Po and NaOH_0.1-Po forms. This finding indicates that organic P cycling is crucial when soil Pi reserves are presented in an inadequate amount. Ecologically based management has to be designed for replenishment and succeeding maintenance of soil organic P compounds to increase sustainable agricultural production.     

Do cover crops change the lability of phosphorus in a clayey subtropical soil under different phosphate fertilizers?

Plants have developed different mechanisms to absorb and solubilize phosphorus (P) in the soil, especially in environments with low P availability. This study evaluated the effects of different winter cover crops on soil P availability in a clayey subtropical (Hapludox) soil receiving soluble P fertilizer and a rock phosphate applied to the summer crop, under no‐tillage. The experiment was carried out over 3 yrs (2009–2011) with five different cover crop species: common vetch, fodder radish, ryegrass, black oat, white clover and fallow as control. The soil was sampled after the third year of cover crop cultivation and analysed for inorganic and organic P forms according to the well‐established Hedley fractionation procedure. Phosphate fertilizers promoted accumulation of both labile and nonlabile P pools in soil in the near surface layer, especially under rock phosphate. Fertilizer applications were not able to change P fractions in deeper layers, emphasizing that the Brazilian clayey soils are a sink of P from fertilizer and its mobility is almost nil. Although the cover crops recycled a great amount of P in tissue, in a short‐term evaluation (3 yrs) they only changed the content of moderately labile P in soil, indicating that long‐term studies are needed for more conclusive results.     

稳定碳、氮同位素在牛肉加工过程中的分馏效应

为了探究牛肉及副产物中稳定碳、氮同位素在加工过程中的变化规律,确证稳定碳、氮同位素在牛肉加工制品产地溯源中的稳定性和有效性。本试验通过对牛肉进行不同时间的水煮、烤制和油炸3种处理,其中水煮和烤制加工时间分别为5、10、15、20、25和30 min,油炸加工时间分别为1、2、3、4和5 min;采用元素分析仪-稳定同位素比率质谱仪(EA-IRMS)测定脱脂牛肉、粗脂肪及副产物中δ¹³C和δ¹⁵N值。结果表明,脱脂牛肉中δ¹³C值在水煮、烤制和油炸3种加工方式不同加工时间之间均无显著差异,水煮和烤制后粗脂肪中δ¹³C值无显著变化,油炸后的牛肉粗脂肪δ¹³C值主要受植物油的影响,加工方式及加工时间对其无显著影响;水煮脱脂牛肉δ¹⁵N值在加工25、30 min时与对照组牛肉存在显著差异,但平均差值仅为0.3‰~0.9‰。牛肉稳定碳、氮同位素在不同加工过程中分馏效应较小,可有效用于牛肉加工半成品及成品的原产地溯源。     

Air-drying changes the distribution of Hedley phosphorus pools in forest soils

Hedley labile phosphorus(P)pools in soil tend to be several times larger than annual forest requirements,even in highly weathered soils characterized by P limitation.The discrepancy between plant and soil P status could be partly attributable to the frequently adopted air-drying pretreatment that tends to increase soil P solubility.In this study,the effects of air-drying on the distribution of Hedley P fractions were examined using soils collected under 4 forest types at Gongga Mountain,southwestern China.The results showed that the microbial biomass P(Pmic)in the organic horizon decreased markedly after air-drying.The concentrations of Hedley labile P in the air-dried samples were 31%–73%more than those in the field-moist samples.Consequently,the air-drying-induced increments of Hedley labile P pools in the surface soil horizons were 0.8–3.8 times the annual plant P requirements.The organic horizon was more susceptible to the air-drying-induced increases in Hedley labile P than the mineral horizon,probably because of the stronger release of Pmicand disruption of soil organic matter.The quality of P,indexed by the ratio of Hedley labile P to slowly cycling P,shifted in favor of the Hedley labile fractions after air-drying,further revealing that air-drying changed the distribution of Hedley P pools in forest soils.These indicated that the effects of air-drying could not be ignored when interpreting the discrepancy between the P status of plants and the Hedley labile P pools in forest soils.To more efficiently evaluate the P status in forest soils via the Hedley fractionation procedure,the use of field-moist soils is recommended.     

Phenotypic and allelic variation for wort protein Z in Australian and Canadian barleys

Protein Z is a major component in beer foam. Two-dimensional electrophoresis was used to analyze wort proteins of two Australian (Buloke and Commander) and two Canadian (CDC Meredith and Bentley) varieties. The Canadian barley contained more abundant proteins from MW 40–45 kDa (pI 5 to 7). These proteins were identified as either protein Z4 or protein Z7 using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Full-length gene of protein Z4 and Z7 were sequenced from Canadian and Australian barleys. Sequence differences were identified in the coding region and upstream regions of the two genes, resulting in protein sequence and expression variations. Molecular markers were designed according to the indels in the upstream regions of protein Z4 and Z7 genes. These markers were highly correlated to wort protein Z content in Canadian and Australian varieties. The Canadian barleys contained ‘high level’ genotypes for protein Z4 and Z7 while most Australian barleys had ‘low level’ genotypes for protein Z4, Z7 or both. The markers identified in this study provide a valuable tool for the selection of protein Z alleles in marker-assisted breeding. Total protein Z content was assessed using different steeping conditions, and increasing air-rest time increased protein Z content in 15 varieties.     

Soil aggregation and the stabilization of organic carbon as affected by erosion and deposition

The importance of soil aggregation in determining the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) during erosion, transportation and deposition is poorly understood. Particularly, we do not know how aggregation contributes to the often-observed accumulation of SOC at depositional sites. Our objective was to assess how aggregation affects SOC stabilization in comparison to interactions of SOC with minerals. We determined and compared aggregate size distributions, SOC distribution in density fractions, and lignin-derived phenols from aggregated soil samples at both eroding and depositional sites. The stabilization effect of aggregation was quantified by comparing mineralization from intact and crushed macro-aggregates. Deposition of eroded soil material resulted in carbon (C) enrichment throughout the soil profile. Both macro-aggregate associated SOC and C associated with minerals (heavy fraction) increased in their importance from the eroding to the depositional site. In the uppermost topsoil (0–5 cm), SOC mineralization from intact aggregates was larger at the depositional site than at the eroding site, reflecting the large input of labile organic matter (plant residues) promoting aggregation. Contrastingly, in the subsoil, mineralization rates were lower at the depositional site because of effective stabilization by interactions with soil minerals. Aggregate crushing increased SOC mineralization by 10–80% at the eroding site, but not at the depositional site. The content of lignin-derived phenols did not differ between eroding and depositional sites in the topsoil (24.6–30.9 mg per g C) but was larger in the subsoil of the eroding site, which was accompanied by higher lignin oxidation. Lignin data indicated minor effects of soil erosion and deposition on the composition of SOC. We conclude that SOC is better protected in aggregates at the eroding than at the depositional site. During transport disaggregation and consequently SOC mineralization took place, while at the depositional site re-aggregation occurred mainly in the form of macro-aggregates. However, this macro-aggregation did not result in a direct stabilization of SOC. We propose that the occlusion of C inside aggregates serves as a pathway for the eroded C to be later stabilized by organo-mineral interaction.     

陕北不同土地利用类型下土壤无机磷形态分布及有效性研究

采用蒋柏藩-顾益初无机磷分级方法,对黄土高原两种农田土壤剖面(0～100 cm)中无机磷形态分布特征进行了研究.结果表明:两种农田土壤剖面(0～100 cm)中无机磷形态占全磷的90.95%;无机磷又以Ca-P为主,所占比例在87.86%～92.55%之间;糜子地土壤剖面中无机磷总量、Ca2-P、Ca8-P、Al-P和...     

Changes in Cd,Cu, Ni,Pb and Zn Fractionation and Liberation Due to Mussel Shell Amendment on a Mine Soil

Mining activities are related to relevant environmental pollution issues that should be controlled. We used sequential extractions to fractionate Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn retained on unamended or mussel shell‐amended mine soil samples, all of them treated with a mixture of the five heavy metals (total metal concentration of 1·57 mmol L⁻¹), after 1, 7 and 30 days of incubation. In addition, we used the stirred flow chamber technique to study the release of each of the five heavy metals from these different unamended and shell‐amended soil samples. The results indicate that the shell amendment caused a decrease in the most soluble fraction, while increasing the most recalcitrant (least mobile) fraction. With equivalent implications, the stirred flow chamber experiments showed that mussel shell amendment was associated to a decrease in heavy metal release and increased retention. The highest mussel shell dose and incubation time caused the most relevant changes in pH values and thus in metal retention, also indicating the importance of pH modifications in the mechanism of retention acting in the amended samples. In view of these results, the use of mussel shell amendment can be encouraged to increase heavy metal retention in acid mine soils, in order to minimise risks of environmental pollution. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.