Micro-scale heterogeneity in urban forest soils affects fine root foraging by ornamental seedlings of Buddhist pine and Northeast yew

Urban soils are frequently characterized by a strong heterogeneity caused by intense anthropogenic activity and land use changes. Soil heterogeneity is commonly known to affect tree root development, but little has been detected concerning root foraging by ornamental trees in heterogeneous urban soils at micro-scale. In this study, Buddhist pine [Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) D. Don] and Northeast yew (Taxus cuspidata S. et Z.) were selected as ornamental tree species for a two-year study. In the first-year, seedlings were cultured under contrasting photoperiods to generate different morphologies. In the second year, seedlings were transplanted to pots filled with soils collected from an urban forest. Controlled-release fertilizers (N-P₂O₅-K₂O, 14-13-13) were evenly broadcasted to a half patch of the pot (heterogeneity) or to both halves (homogeneity) on the surface 5 cm beneath the pot-top at the rate of 0.135 g N seedling⁻¹. In the fertilized heterogeneous patch, larger Buddhist pine seedlings had greater dry weight, length, surface area, volume, number of tips, and morphological foraging-precision in fine roots. Compared to Northeast yew seedlings under natural photoperiod in the first year, those under the extended photoperiod had larger size, greater fine root biomass, and length but lower foraging-precision in the second year. N and P concentrations in second-year fine roots mainly increased with the availability of patches generated by fertilization for both species. In conclusion, the ability to forage for nutrients by ornamental tree seedlings in heterogeneous urban forest soils was species-specific. Buddhist pine seedlings had higher foraging precision in heterogeneous urban soils than Northeast yew seedlings due to their response to the extended photoperiod during culture.     

Phosphorus availability and farm structural factors: examining scarcity and oversupply in north‐east Germany

Assessing factors influencing phosphorus (P) availability in soils is important in preventing its overexploitation and excessive application in agricultural systems. Despite high historical P applications in the federal state of Brandenburg (Germany), county data on soil test P (STP) reveal considerable disparities in soil available P. In addition, negative soil balances as a result of small mineral P and manure inputs have been observed, raising questions about the factors leading to this situation. Our work focused on identifying possible causes operating at the farm management level by conducting a letter survey in two administrative districts of Brandenburg, the counties Barnim and Uckermark, linking farm management factors (ownership type, farm size, land tenure, animal husbandry with or without grassland and its intensity, presence of a biogas plant and organic production) to farmers’ self‐indicated levels of STP. Small‐ to medium‐sized individual farms tended to have (very) high STP, while large partnership farms and companies/cooperatives were sensitive to factors resulting in low STP. Farms with low shares of land ownership, the presence of grassland, extensive cattle farming and stockless organic farming had lower STP. On the other hand, biogas plants, partly in combination with intensive livestock (cattle) farming, were associated with larger STP. It was concluded that more care should be devoted to the design of agricultural policies and that further (inter‐ and transdisciplinary) research on this topic is needed.     

生物炭对不同酸化水平稻田土壤性质和重金属Cu、Cd有效性影响

针对南方稻田土壤酸化严重,导致养分流失有毒重金属活化,严重影响稻米质量安全的重大现实问题。以水稻秸秆和谷壳等农业废弃物为原料制备生物炭(分别记为RSC和RHC),研究不同原料生物炭对酸化土壤改良及其对重金属有效性的影响。设置3个生物炭用量(0,20,50 g/kg,分别记为CK、C1、C2),4种土壤酸化水平(pH 4.01,4.25,4.33,4.58,分别记为L1、L2、L3、L4),生物炭与重金属污染土壤共同培养60天后测定土壤pH、全氮、有机质、有效磷、速效钾和有效态Cu、Cd含量。结果表明:RSC对酸化土壤pH的改良效果明显优于RHC,且施炭量越高提高幅度越大,RSC的C2处理使4种酸度水平的土壤pH分别提高了0.68,0.97,1.29,1.71个单位。2种生物炭均能提高土壤的全氮、有效磷、速效钾和有机质含量,其中各施炭处理有机质显著提高,尤以速效钾的增幅最为显著,RSC对4种养分的提高均优于RHC。RHC对土壤有效态Cu含量无显著影响;RSC的C2较C1处理更能降低土壤中有效态Cu含量,使4种酸度水平的土壤分别降低了13.62%,6.57%,4.36%,7.88%。RHC处理的L3、L4土壤中有效态Cd含量显著降低,最大分别降低了13.79%,19.23%。RSC使4种酸度土壤有效态Cd含量最大分别降低了20.00%,25.81%,20.69%,19.23%。相关分析表明,土壤pH与有效态重金属含量呈显著负相关关系。水稻秸秆炭用于改良酸化土壤、降低重金属Cu和Cd有效性的效果更佳,且降低污染土壤中Cd的有效性较Cu好;生物炭对酸化程度越低的土壤pH和有效磷含量的提高以及有效态Cd含量的降低效果较好,而有效态Cu含量的降低效果则在酸化程度越高的土壤中表现更佳;土壤pH是生物炭调控重金属Cu、Cd有效性的主要影响因素。     

Comparison of Salt and Drought‐Stress Effects on Maize Growth and Yield Formation with Regard to Acid Invertase Activity in the Kernels

The long‐term effects of salt stress (11 dS m^?1) and drought stress (35 % WHC) were investigated for two maize genotypes, focusing on the relation between metabolic changes around the time of pollination and the impact on yield determinants at maturity. The relatively salt‐resistant hybrid Pioneer 3906 and the relatively drought‐resistant hybrid Fabregas were compared. The experiments were conducted in large plastic containers in a vegetation hall in two consecutive years (2011 and 2012). Plant height and leaf area were significantly reduced under both stress conditions. The transpiration rate was only slightly reduced under drought stress; but under salt stress, a significant reduction occurred 40–53 days after sowing. As a significant increase in sucrose concentrations was observed in the salt‐treated maize kernels 2 days after pollination, the availability of assimilates was not limiting and the plants could afford to save water by reduced stomatal opening. Although under both stress conditions the soluble acid invertase activity was reduced 2 days after pollination, concomitantly, an increase in hexose concentrations was observed. Thus, in these experiments, the delivery of hexoses by acid invertase activity did not limit kernel development. Differences in grain yield at maturity between salt and drought stress were most likely caused by salt‐specific effects (Na⁺ toxicity), Fabregas being more affected than Pioneer 3906.     

Effects of organic matter addition on phosphorus availability to flooded and nonflooded rice in a P‐deficient tropical soil: a greenhouse study

Addition of organic matter (OM) to flooded soils stimulates reductive dissolution of Fe(III) minerals, thereby mobilizing associated phosphate (P). Hence, OM management has the potential to overcome P deficiency. This study assessed if OM applications increases soil or mineral fertilizer P availability to rice under anaerobic (flooded) condition and if that effect is different relative to that in aerobic (nonflooded) soils. Rice was grown in P‐deficient soil treated with combinations of addition of mineral P (0, 26 mg P/kg), OM (0, ~9 g OM/kg as rice straw + cattle manure) and water treatments (flooded vs nonflooded) in a factorial pot experiment. The OM was either freshly added just before flooding or incubated moist in soil for 6 months prior to flooding; blanket N and K was added in all treatments. Fresh addition of OM promoted reductive dissolution of Fe(III) minerals in flooded soils, whereas no such effect was found when OM had been incubated for 6 months before flooding. Yield and shoot P uptake largely increased with mineral P addition in all soils, whereas OM addition increased yield and P uptake only in flooded soils following fresh OM addition. The combination of mineral P and OM gave the largest yield and P uptake. Addition of OM just prior to soil flooding increased P uptake but was insufficient to overcome P deficiency in the absence of mineral P. Larger applications of OM are unlikely to be more successful in flooded soils due to side effects, such as Fe toxicity.     

Contribution of incident solar radiation on leaves and pods to soybean seed weight and composition

The weight and composition of soybean seeds (Glycine Max L. Merrill) depend on changes in carbon and nitrogen assimilate supply during grain filling. Soybean pods and seeds are green, evidencing their capacity to capture light. However, the current physiological knowledge does not consider any effect of incident solar radiation reaching the pods on seed weight and composition. The objective of this work was to investigate the response of seed weight and composition to changes in assimilate supply from leaves, to the incident solar radiation reaching the pods and to the combination of both, changes in assimilate supply from the leaves and incident solar radiation on pods of soybean plants. Field experiments were performed during two growing seasons at Balcarce, Argentina. Treatments modified the amount of assimilates supplied by the leaves (plant shading, defoliation), the solar radiation reaching the pods (pod shading) or both (defoliation and pod shading) during seed filling. Plant shading and defoliation reduced seed weight, oil concentration and oil and protein content and increased the concentration of saturated and poli-unsaturated fatty acids while reduced oleic acid percentage. Pod shading increased the concentration of stearic acid and reduced the concentration of linolenic acid. When pods were shaded on defoliated plants, seed weight and oil and protein content decreased while fatty acid composition was similar to values obtained under defoliation treatment. Based on these results, a conceptual model that considers photoheterotrophic nature of reproductive structures of soybean is proposed. Seed weight, oil and protein content and oil fatty acid composition depended on assimilate availability for the seeds. The response of oil and protein content to assimilate supply depended on whether leaves were present or not. The effect of solar radiation incident on pods depended on the amount of assimilates available for the seeds: (i) when carbon allocated was low (defoliation treatments), pods contributed to seed carbon economy but solar radiation incident on them did not affect fatty acid composition; (ii) when carbon allocated to the seeds was high (intact plants), contribution of pods to seed carbon economy was not significant, but the amount of solar radiation incident on pods produced significant changes in fatty acid composition.     

A Study on the Method of Time-Resource Optimization of Engineering Projects

This paper investigates the coordinated operation of the progress planning with the resource planning when carrying out engineering projects and puts forward a method of "RSM" under the resource limit conditions. Then, the "RSM" was improved to avoid complicated calculation. This method not only reduces the calculating work by hand but saves computer's memory as well, making the time-resource optimization work more quick and convenient.     

The effect of salinity on corn yield using the CERES-maize model

In most cases, when calculating soil water availability, only thewater content is considered. The effect of salinity on the wiltingpoint is neglected. The objective of this work is to use asimulation model (CERES-maize) in order to predict cornyields as a function of water salinity under severalenvironmental, agrotechnical, and plant characteristics. A modelis presented in which the wilting point is a function of the soilsalt content. At high salinity, the water content at wilting pointis higher than at low salinity, resulting in an insufficient amountof available water and, therefore, a reduced yield. The modelwas used to simulate several theoretical and experimentalsituations for forage corn and grain corn. Simulation resultsshowed that nitrogen fertilization increases the salinity thresholdvalue and the yield sensitivity (rate of yield reduction per unitof salinity). The also showed that forage corn is more sensitiveto salinity than grain corn. If the soil is not leached, a heaviersoil texture has a higher salinity threshold value. On the otherhand, if the soil is leached, the soil texture has no influence onthe salinity threshold value and the yield is less sensitive tosalinity in sandy soils. The determination coefficient (r²= 0.75) indicated that the results of the simulations were in goodagreement with the field data.     

改性木质素对砖红壤磷素有效性的影响

磷肥施入砖土壤后，土壤速效磷随着时间的推移，呈现下降的趋势。利用改性木质素缓释磷铵，可以有效地络合土壤活性钵，降低其活性，从而阻止土壤速效磷被固定，使土壤磷素维持在较高的水平。土壤中交换性钙和交换性镁对土壤速效磷的影响不大。