Effect of Azospirillum brasilense inoculation on root morphology and respiration in tomato seedlings

Summary The level of Azospirillum brasilense strain Cd colonization in the rhizosphere of some vegetables was 10⁴–10⁵ colony-forming units (CFU) per root of one plant in 2-week-old plants inoculated with 5 × 10⁸ Azospirillum cells. Significant increases in root length (35%) and in top (90%) and root (50%) dry weight and total leaf area (90%) were observed in 18-day-old inoculated tomato plants compared with non-inoculated controls. An inoculum concentration of 1 × 10⁸ to 5 × 10⁸ CFU/ml stimulated the appearance of root hairs. Large numbers of bacteria (1 × 10⁹ CFU/ml) caused asymmetrical growth of the root tip. In a petri dish system, Azospirillum (1 × 10⁸ CFU/ml) increased root dry weight (150%), protein content (20%), respiration rate per root (70%) and the specific activity of malate dehydrogenase (45%–65%) over non-inoculated controls. The specific respiration rate, expressed as micromol of O₂ per minute per milligram of dry weight of roots, was significantly lower in inoculated roots, suggesting that less energy was spent for accumulation of more dry material.     

The effect of various residue mulch-tillage combinations on soil physical conditions and performance of irrigated cotton

Cotton is a major irrigated summer field crop in Israel, and is commonly grown in the same field for 3–5 years in succession. There is only a narrow time window between harvest and early rains for pest control by means of clearing the land surface of residues, and to perform preparatory tillage. The time available may be insufficient to achieve this with the conventional deep plowing tillage system, and some operations may have to be carried out on moist soil between rainfall events. In response to indications of decreasing yield due to compaction, various limited-tillage systems in permanent traffic lanes have been developed, culminating in a machine that performs all residue-disposal and tillage operations in a single pass through the field. A comparison of several limited-traffic and conventional practices was carried out for 2 years on a loessial silt loam (Calcic Haploxeralf). It was found that both soil condition and yield were worst in the two treatments commonly used by farmers: deep plowing and deep incorporation of residues with the combination machine. Tillage effects were dominant, masking any effect of residue amount and disposal method. Large differences were found between the zones of the permanent wheel track treatments, as were cyclic changes in soil condition reflecting the seasonal sequence of tillage operations. Some cumulative compaction occurred, due mainly to a gradual widening of the wheel tracks rather than to repeated passes in the original rut. The findings of this work show that the optimal choice is to replace the previously preferred field practices by shallow slot-mulching with simultaneous subsoiling by the combination machine, which meets the sanitation requirements, maintains satisfactory yields and saves energy and labor.     

Rates of decomposition of plant residues and available nitrogen in soil, related to residue composition through simulation of carbon and nitrogen turnover

The dynamics of inorganic N in soil following the application of plant residues depends on their composition. We assumed that all plant materials are composed of similar components, each decomposing at a specific rate, but differ in the proportions of the various components. The NCSOIL model that simulates C and N turnover in soil was used to link the rates of residue decomposition to their composition, defined as soluble, cellulose-like and lignin-like C and N, and thereby integrate short and long-term effects of residues on available N dynamics in soil. Five plant residues in a wide range of C:N ratios were incubated in soil for 24 weeks at 30 °C, during which C and N mineralization were measured. The materials with large C:N ratios (corn, rice hulls and wheat straw) were also incubated with NH₄⁺-N to avoid N deficiency. The residues were analyzed for total and soluble C and N. The partitioning of insoluble C and N between cellulose- and lignin-like pools was optimized by best fit of simulated C and N mineralization to measured results. The decomposition rate constants of the soluble and lignin-like pools were assumed to be 1.0 and 10⁻⁵ d⁻¹, respectively, and that of the cellulose-like pool, obtained by model optimization against mineralization of cellulose with NH₄⁺-N in soil, was 0.051 d⁻¹. The optimized, kinetically defined lignin-like pool of all residues was considerably larger than lignin contents normally found in plant residues by the Van Soest procedure. Gross N mineralization of tobacco and rape residues was similar, but N recovery from tobacco was larger, because a larger fraction of its C was in the lignin-like pool. N in rice hulls, corn and wheat residues was mostly recalcitrant, yet rice hulls did not cause N deficiency, because most of its C was recalcitrant too. The soluble components of the residues had strong short-term effects on available N in soil, but the cellulose-like pool was equally important for short and medium-term effects. Soluble and cellulose-like C were 29 and 42% of total C, respectively, in corn and 7 and 50% in wheat. Maximal net inorganic N losses, measured in both residue treatments after 2 weeks, were 42 mg g⁻¹ C applied as corn and 31 mg g⁻¹ C applied as wheat, or 84 and 110 mg g⁻¹ decomposed C of corn and wheat, respectively. Rice hulls immobilized N slowly, but by the end of 24 weeks all three residues immobilized 26-27 mg N kg⁻¹ C applied. The different dynamics of N immobilization demonstrated the need to determine the decomposability of C and N rather than their total contents in plant residues.     

Advances in modeling machine-soil-plant interactions

Modern agriculture involves mechanized operations which affect crop growth and yields through changes in the soil environment. Field research to study the phenomena involved in the soil-machine-crop system is usually site-specific with respect to edaphic, climatic and management factors. Field experiments are often expensive to conduct, and generalization to other sites or practices is usually tenuous at best. Computer-based techniques to simulate machine-soil-plant (or crop) systems can test many combinations of site characteristics and management practices, and screen the most promising combinations. Once these promising combinations are validated, the simulation techniques, together with stochastically-supported data bases can be used to predict tillage management systems suitable for specific sites and crops.Current efforts to model plant response to soil conditions created by tillage and machines have serious shortcomings, because the link between tool action, subsequent soil structure, and the parameters that describe fluxes of water, heat and gas need further development for deterministic modeling. Machine-soil models focus on efficiency of the tillage operation, while soil-plant models focus on soil structure and related parameters influencing plant growth. While current models for simulating the machine-soil-crop system have limitations, an approach to bridge between the two model applications offers great promise and should be a high research priority. When used with improved measurements of tool action and of soil structural properties before and after tillage and traffic, including position or placement of the crop residues, current models can be doubly effective for improving tillage management.     

Field studies of the immunisation of lambs with drug-abbreviated infections of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia circumcincta

Fifty, 5–6 month-old lambs were randomly allocated to five equal groups. Three groups of lambs were immunised by three oxfendazole-abbreviated (artificial) infections of Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Ostertagia circutncincta. Group 1 was immunised with a high dose of larvae, Group 2 with a medium dose and Group 3 with a low dose. A fourth group was treated with oxfendazole only and a fifth group was not treated (control). All groups were grazed together on pasture naturally contaminated with nematode larvae. Immunisation significantly reduced the number of eggs per gram of faeces in all three groups, but the lowest faecal egg count was seen in Group 3 (immunised with the lowest number of larvae). Significantly better liveweight gains and wool weight were observed in Group 2 animals than in the control group. Of all anthelmintic-treated animals, only Group 1 lambs did not have a signscantly lower dag weight than controls.     

Strategies and priorities in field collections for ex situ conservation: the case of the Israel Plant Gene Bank

The ex situ collection of the Israel Plant Gene Bank (IGB) aims to encompass the rich local flora and its genetic diversity with an emphasis on crop wild relatives. However, to properly establish a core collection, collection efforts must be prioritized and strategized. We previously classified local plant genetic resources into four priority groups that assisted in strategizing the collection activities. The following years of intensive collection activity yielded over 4200 banked accessions. However, these do not necessarily represent the distribution range of the target species for collection (TSC) and consequently, their genetic diversity. To best cover the latter, the collecting area was divided into botanical districts and the magnitude of the collection was determined according to prioritization group, e.g., a wild relative of an agricultural crop with a vast distribution range should be represented by a larger number of banked accessions than one with a smaller range. Continuous evaluation of specific needs shapes the collection scheme of the IGB to maximize collection efforts, better represent the presumed genetic diversity of TSC, and establish its core collection.     

Land-cover change and human population trends in the greater Serengeti ecosystem from 1984–2003

The growth of human populations around protected areas accelerates land conversion and isolation, negatively impacting biodiversity and ecosystem function, and can be exacerbated by immigration. It is often assumed that immigration around protected areas is driven by attraction in the form of economic benefits, but in many cases, people may be pushed from their areas of origin toward protected areas. Mitigating the effects of immigration around protected areas necessitates understanding the actual mechanisms causing it, which can be aided by analysis of patterns of land-cover change. Our goal was to identify the reasons for human population growth and land-cover change around the protected areas in the greater Serengeti ecosystem (henceforth “the park”), and to relate agricultural conversion from 1984–2003 to trends in human demography. We found that conversion of natural habitats to agriculture was greatest closer to the park (up to 2.3% per year), coinciding with the highest rates of human population growth (3.5% per year). Agricultural conversion and population growth were greatest where there was less existing agriculture, and population density was lowest. Lack of unfarmed land farther from the park, coupled with greater poverty near the park, suggest that movement away from areas with high population densities and land scarcity was likely driving immigration near the park, where arable land was available. Our results are essential for conservation planning for one of Africa’s hallmark ecosystems, and should encourage further examination of population growth and land-cover trends near protected areas throughout the developing world.     

Forging a Link between Composting and Sustainable Agriculture

? The concept of composting has always been rooted in a soil conservation philosophy that recognizes the role of organic matter in agriculture. The paradox has been that the recent rise in composting interest has come from the need for waste management solutions which emphasize economical and environmental alternatives, not the need for soil improvement and nutrient recycling. This review traces some early researches on the link between compost application and crop productivity and urges greater support for research that shows how compost can reduce pesticide use, improve farm economics and, in general, support the goals of sustainable agriculture.