Comparison of Different Methods for Phenotyping Preharvest Sprouting in White‐Grained Wheat

The objective of this study was to identify a suitable method for phenotyping preharvest sprouting (PHS) resistance in white bread wheat. Forty doubled‐haploid (DH) lines derived from a cross between two white‐grained spring wheats (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar Argent (nondormant) and wheat breeding line W98616 (dormant) were evaluated for germination frequency, Falling Number (FN), and α‐amylase activity in dry and water‐imbibed seeds and spikes. The α‐amylase activity in dry seeds or spikes did not differ significantly between parent lines or lines of the DH population. Wetting of seeds or spikes for two days caused a five‐ to sevenfold increase in α‐amylase activity but only in Argent and the nondormant subgroup (49–100% germination) of the DH lines. A positive association (r = 0.60***) was detected between germination frequency and α‐amylase activity in imbibed seeds and spikes. Germination frequency could not be correlated to FN or α‐amylase activity in dry‐harvested seeds. FN showed a strong correlation (r = –0.83***) to α‐amylase activity in the dry‐harvested seeds but could not be correlated to α‐amylase activity in the imbibed seeds. The germination test was the most reliable method for measuring PHS resistance because seed dormancy provides potential resistance to PHS, whereas high α‐amylase activity may occur in grains without causing PHS.     

Effects of Pearling on Falling Number and α‐Amylase Activity of Preharvest Sprouted Spring Wheat

Preharvest sprouted wheat is often characterized by the falling number (FN) test. FN decreases in preharvest sprouted wheat as enzymatic degradation of the starchy endosperm increases. Wheat with FN values <250–275 is often discounted at the time of sale. The intent of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of debranning or pearling on the flour quality traits of five samples of wheat rated as low, med‐low, medium, med‐high, and sound that exhibited a range in FN values of 62–425 sec. Replicates of each sample were pearled for 30, 60, and 120 sec to remove portions of the outer bran layers before milling. FN was highly correlated with α‐amylase activity (r > ‐0.97) in the med‐low, medium, and med‐high FN sample sets as pearling time increased. FN increased in the medlow, medium, and med‐high FN samples by 128, 123, and 80%, respectively, after 120 sec of pearling. Pearling had no effect on flour FN of the low FN sample but α‐amylase activity was significantly decreased. Pearling had little or no effect on FN and α‐amylase activity of the sound sample. FN was moderately to strongly correlated with Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA), alveograph, and farinograph properties, and poorly correlated with protein content, flour yield, and bread loaf volume. In subsequent breadmaking studies, bread loaf volume, and crumb characteristics of flour from pearled wheat were not significantly different from loaf volume and crumb characteristics of flour from the corresponding nonpearled wheat.     

Effects of Falling Number Sample Weight on Prediction of α‐Amylase Activity

Reports vary on the effects of falling number (FN) sample weight on test precision, reproducibility, and predictability of α‐amylase activity. Straight grade flours of 200 samples (25 cultivars × 2 locations × 2 N₂ levels × 2 repetitions) were assayed for α‐amylase activity and FN. Location significantly affected α‐amylase activity and FN values. The coefficients of variation (CV) for the FN tests were 5.75, 2.12, 1.93, 1.72, 4.27, and 14.47%, when assayed with sample weights of 7, 6, 5.5, 5, 4.5, and 4 g, respectively. The FN test with the greatest reproducibility between sample replicates (lowest LSD and highest ratio of range/LSD) was also produced using the 5‐g sample weight. By reducing FN sample weight from 7 to 5 g, FN values that averaged 350 sec, considered essentially sound, averaged 215 sec, thus shortening the FN test time by an average of 2 min and 15 sec when assaying sound wheat flour. The results suggest a review of the 7‐g stipulation of AACC Approved Method 56‐81B for FN in favor of reduced sample weight.     

Characteristics of Modern Triticale Quality: The Relationship Between Carbohydrate Properties, α‐Amylase Activity,and Falling Number

Triticale is a high‐yielding cereal crop with potential to increase grain production for human consumption over the coming decades. Minimal targeted selection has been conducted to produce cultivars with α‐amylase, amylose, and nonstarch polysaccharide (NSP) content appropriate for a milling market. Nevertheless, genotypic variability exists. Standard quality screening methods used for wheat, including pasting properties, falling number, and quantification of α‐amylase activity were employed to assess the environmental and genotypic variability among modern triticale cultivars and to investigate the suitability of these tests for triticale. Samples of 11 triticale lines from four environments were compared with five wheat cultivars bred for various end uses. Triticale exhibited a greater range than wheat for most tested variables, and the ranges usually overlapped. Triticale exhibited higher NSP content, generally equivalent pasting properties, higher α‐amylase activity, and lower falling number on average compared with wheat checks. However, low falling number was not indicative of high α‐amylase activity; the relationship with NSP level and other factors is discussed, and caution is recommended for interpretation of previous research. Three cultivars with equivalent α‐amylase activity to wheat and two with partially waxy starch were identified. These findings have great significance for research and the emerging triticale milling market.     

Synergistic Hydrolysis of Crude Corn Starch by α‐Amylases and Glucoamylases of Various Origins

Four α‐amylases and two glucoamylases from various sources, in eight combinations, were used to study the synergistic hydrolysis of crude corn starch at various temperatures. At 40 and 50°C, the combinations containing Rhizopus mold glucoamylase enhanced hydrolysis of corn starch compared wth that obtained with the combinations from Aspergillus niger. At 60°C, Rhizopus mold combinations gave low reaction yields as the enzyme was inactivated. The differences observed between α‐amylases are smaller, with the exception of Bacillus licheniformis α‐amylase, which presented more than twice the productivity of the other α‐amylases, at all temperatures. In terms of substrate conversion at 5 hr of hydrolysis, the combination of B. licheniformis α‐amylase with Rhizopus mold glucoamylase at 50°C presents 76% substrate conversion, whereas, with all the other combinations, starch conversion was 13–73%. HPLC analysis of the reaction products obtained at 50°C showed that the main product of corn starch hydrolysis was glucose at 85–100%. Further experiments showed that A. niger glucoamylase and B. licheniformis α‐amylase were the only enzymes that retained their initial activity after incubation at the temperatures studied.     

Factors Governing Pasting Properties of Waxy Wheat Flours

Waxy wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) contains endosperm starch lacking in amylose. To realize the full potential of waxy wheat, the pasting properties of hard waxy wheat flours as well as factors governing the pasting properties were investigated and compared with normal and partial waxy wheat flours. Starches isolated from six hard waxy wheat flours had similar pasting properties, yet their corresponding flours had very different pasting properties. The differences in pasting properties were narrowed after endogenous α‐amylase activity in waxy wheat flours was inhibited by silver nitrate. Upon treatment with protease, the extent of protein digestibility influenced the viscosity profile in waxy wheat flours. Waxy wheat starch granules swelled extensively when heated in water and exhibited a high peak viscosity, but they fragmented at high temperatures, resulting in more rapid breakdown in viscosity. The extensively swelled and fragmented waxy wheat starch granules were more susceptible to α‐amylase degradation than normal wheat starch. A combination of endogenous α‐amylase activity and protein matrix contributed to a large variation in pasting properties of waxy wheat flours.     

Observations on the α‐Amylolysis Pattern of Some Waxy Maize Starches from Inbred Line Ia453

Maize starches of the endosperm mutants waxy (wx), dull:waxy (duwx), and amylose‐extender:dull:waxy (aeduwx) from inbred line Ia453 lack amylose. However, in addition to high molecular weight (HMW) amylopectin, the duwx and aeduwx starches contained 40 and 80%, respectively, intermediate branched material of low molecular weight (LMW). As gelatinized, the amylopectin of the wx starch was easily hydrolyzed into small dextrins by the α‐amylase of B. amyloliquefaciens, but components of duwx and aeduwx possessed partial resistance to amylolytic attack. Residual material of intermediate size obtained by a 4‐hr α‐amylolysis could not be separated from LMW dextrins by fractional precipitation in methanol. It is suggested that this material possessed a more regularly branched structure, in which the d ‐glucosyl chain segments were too short to allow α‐amylase action. The granular starches of duwx and aeduwx genotypes were initially considerably more resistant than the wx sample to α‐amylase attack. This was possibly due to an altered structure in the amylopectin component or the high content of intermediate material in the former granules.     

Effect of Grain Protein Concentration on Falling Number of Ungerminated Soft White Winter Wheat

Falling number (FN) values below 300 sec in the apparent absence of preharvest sprouting are periodically observed in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (USPNW). Wheat in the USPNW is predominantly soft‐grained and often grown under conditions conducive to low grain protein concentration (GPC). Our hypothesis is that low GPC per se could be responsible for some low FN results and not elevated α‐amylase from either sprouting or late‐maturity amylase. The relationship between FN and GPC was investigated using grain from the 2011 wheat harvest. Soft white winter wheat samples from six locations in Oregon were tested in duplicate. Across the entire sample set, FN and GPC were positively correlated (r = 0.65, P ≤ 0.001). When putatively sprouted samples (FN < 280 sec) were removed from the analysis, the correlation was still apparent (r = 0.69, P ≤ 0.001). Hardness index was also correlated with FN (r = 0.45, P ≤ 0.001). Our preliminary conclusion is that GPC can be a substantial modulator of FN in the putative absence of elevated amylase in soft white winter wheat grown in the USPNW.     

Storage Conditions Affecting Increase in Falling Number of Soft Red Winter Wheat Grain

Falling number (FN) of wheat grain, a measure of preharvest sprouting, tends to increase during storage; however, grain and storage conditions that impact FN changes are poorly understood. Wheat grain samples of varying FN from several cultivars were obtained by artificial sprouting, by incubating wheat stalks, or directly from the field and were used to determine the effects of cultivar, storage temperature, grain moisture content, and initial FN on changes in FN and α‐amylase activity. Increases in FN of artificially sprouted grain during storage were affected by temperature but not evidently by grain moisture in the range of 10.0–13.0%. The FN of artificially sprouted grain increased when stored at 5, 23, and 35°C for 20 weeks by averages of 9.4, 24.1, and 34.4, respectively. The influences of storage temperature and initial FN of grain obtained from incubated stalks were different between cultivars when stored for 8 weeks. Wheat grain obtained directly from the field also exhibited significant increases in FN during 8 weeks of storage at 5, 23, and 35°C with average increases of 10.0, 27.1, and 38.5, respectively. The impact of α‐amylase activity on the increase in FN during storage was evident only for field‐harvested grain of varying FN. α‐Amylase activity exhibited a negative logarithmic relationship (R² = 0.87) with FN in field‐harvested grain. The magnitude of the changes in α‐amylase activity varied by cultivar.     

Effect of Temperature and Screw Speed on Stability of Fumonisin B1 in Extrusion-Cooked Corn Grits

Corn grits spiked with fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) at a level of 5 μg/g were extrusion cooked in a corotating twin-screw extruder at different temperatures (140, 160, 180, and 200°C) and screw speeds (40, 80, 120, and 160 rpm). Good recoveries of FB₁ were obtained from the nonextruded as well as the extruded grits by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Both the barrel temperature and the screw speed significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected the extent of fumonisin reduction in extruded grits. As expected, the FB₁ recovered decreased with an increase in temperature and a decrease in screw speed. The amount of FB₁ lost from cooking grits at the different extrusion parameters used in this study ranged from 34 to 95%. About 46–76% of the spiked FB₁ was lost when the grits were cooked at temperatures and screw speeds that resulted in acceptable product expansion and color.     

Interactions between a plant growth‐promoting rhizobacterium and smoke‐derived compounds and their effect on okra growth

Plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are used in agriculture to improve crop yield. Crude smoke–water (made by bubbling plant‐derived smoke through water) stimulates germination and improves seedling growth. Some active compounds have been isolated from smoke with karrikinolide (KAR₁) stimulating plant growth and trimethylbutenolide (TMB) being inhibitory. These smoke compounds have great potential in agriculture but their interaction with PGPR is unknown. In the present study, a two‐factorial pot trial with three replicates per treatment was designed to investigate the interactions between Bacillus licheniformis and two concentrations each of smoke–water, KAR₁, and TMB on okra (Abelmoschus esculentus). Growth and physiological parameters (chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein, sugar and α‐amylase) of okra as well as bacterial abundance in the rhizosphere were measured after 5 weeks. Application of B. licheniformis and 10^?7 M KAR₁ significantly improved the shoot biomass and 10^?7 M KAR₁ also significantly improved leaf area of okra. However, when 10^?7 M KAR₁ was applied in combination with B. licheniformis, there was an antagonistic effect on plant growth. While TMB had a negative effect on plant growth, a combination treatment of TMB and B. licheniformis overcame the inhibitory effect of TMB resulting in plant growth similar to the control plants. All treatments had no effect on chlorophyll, carotenoid, protein and sugar concentrations, while α‐amylase activity was significantly elevated in okra root treated with 1:500 (v/v) smoke–water. Determining the rhizobacteria populations at harvest showed that all treatments had no significant effect on the rhizosphere microbial abundance. The modes of interaction between PGPR and smoke‐derived compounds need to be further elucidated.     

Activity‐Guided Fractionation to Identify Blue Wheat (UC66049 Triticum aestivum L.) Constituents Capable of Inhibiting In Vitro Starch Digestion

The inhibition or delay of starch digestion by dietary compounds could help manage postprandial blood glucose levels. The objective of this study was to identify constituents from whole grain blue wheat capable of decreasing α‐amylase‐catalyzed starch digestion. An activity‐guided fractionation approach based on liquid chromatography was used to identify solvent‐ and alkaline‐extractable blue wheat constituents reducing α‐amylase‐mediated starch digestion in vitro. Fatty acids, potentially released from cell wall polymers by alkaline hydrolysis, inhibited the digestion of amylose, probably through the formation of amylose‐lipid complexes. However, the degradation of amylopectin was not affected by fatty acids. In addition, 1‐(3,5‐dihydroxyphenyl)heneicosan‐2‐one, a 5‐(2′‐oxoalkyl)resorcinol, was found to reduce starch digestion. However, because the digestion of both amylopectin and amylose was reduced, the inhibition mechanism was different from that of fatty acids. Further research is needed to evaluate whether this component also reduces starch digestion in vivo. Other phenolic compounds of blue wheat such as anthocyanins or hydroxycinnamates were not identified as major starch digestion inhibitors by using the activity‐guided fractionation approach.     

Developing nitrogen management strategies under drip fertigation for wheat and maize production in the North China Plain based on a 3‐year field experiment

The intensive winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–summer maize (Zea mays L.) cropping systems in the North China Plain (NCP) rely on the heavy use of mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizers. As the fertigated area of wheat and maize in the NCP has grown rapidly during recent years, developing N management strategies is required for sustainable wheat and maize production. Field experiments were conducted in Hebei Province during three consecutive growth seasons in 2012–2015 to assess the influence of different N fertigation rates on N uptake, yield, and nitrogen use efficiency [NUE: recovery efficiency (RE_N) and agronomic efficiency (AE_N)]. Five levels of N application, 0 (FN₀), 40 (FN_40%), 70 (FN_70%), 100 (FN_100%), and 130% (FN_130%) of the farmer practice rate (FP: 250 kg N ha^?1 and 205.5 kg N ha^?1 for wheat and maize, respectively), corresponding to 0, 182.2, 318.9, 455.5, and 592.2 kg N ha^?1 y^?1, respectively, were tested. Nitrogen in the form of urea was dissolved in irrigation water and split into six and four applications for wheat and maize, respectively. In addition, the treatment “drip irrigation + 100% N conventional broadcasting” (DN_100%) was also conducted. All treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results revealed the significant influence of both N fertigation rate and N application method on grain yield and NUE. Compared to DN_100%, FN_100% significantly increased the 3‐year averaged N recovery efficiency (RE_N) by 0.09 kg kg^?1 and 0.04 kg kg^?1, and the 3‐year averaged N agronomic efficiency (AE_N) by 2.43 kg kg^?1 and 1.62 kg kg^?1 for wheat and maize, respectively. Among N fertigation rates, there was no significant increase in grain yield in response to N applied at a greater rate than 70% of FP due to excess N accumulation in vegetative tissues. Compared to FN_70%, FN_100%, and FN_130%, FN_40% increased the RE_N by 0.17–0.57 kg kg^?1 and 0.03–0.34 kg kg^?1and the AE_N by 4.60–27.56 kg kg^?1 and 2.40–10.62 kg kg^?1 for wheat and maize, respectively. Based on a linear‐response relationship between the N fertigation rate and grain yield over three rotational periods it can be concluded that recommended N rates under drip fertigation with optimum split applications can be reduced to 46% (114.6 kg N ha^?1) and 58% (116.6 kg N ha^?1) of FP for wheat and maize, respectively, without negatively affecting grain yield, thereby increasing NUE.     

Tocopherols,Tocotrienols, and γ‐Oryzanol Contents in Japonica and Indica Subspecies of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Cultivated in Brazil

Whole rice contains several fat‐soluble phytochemicals such as tocopherols, tocotrienols, and γ‐oryzanol which have been reported to possess beneficial health properties. This study was conducted to determine whether brown rice belonging to indica and japonica subspecies were distinguishable from each other regarding the concentration of these compounds by analyzing 32 genotypes. The fat‐soluble compounds were analyzed by normal‐phase HPLC in a single run. The variability of the compounds analyzed was high, but the mean content of γ‐oryzanol across all samples was significantly higher (P < 0.01) in japonica (246.3 mg/kg) than in indica rice (190.1 mg/kg). Similar differences were found for total vitamin E contents which were 24.2 mg/kg in japonica and 17.1 mg/kg in indica rice, respectively. In japonica rice, α‐tocopherol, α‐tocotrienol, and γ‐tocotrienol were the most abundant homologs, while in indica rice the most abundant were γ‐tocotrienol, α‐tocopherol, and α‐tocotrienol. A significant Pearson coefficient (0.80, P < 0.001) between α‐tocopherol and α‐tocotrienol levels was found, independent of the subspecies. Both compounds were positively correlated to total tocols and γ‐oryzanol contents. Although more studies are needed to evaluate the interference of growing rice in different environments and multiple years, the present study provided information on natural variations of the vitamin E isomers and the γ‐oryzanol contents in different rice genotypes.     

Extraction of β‐Glucan from Oat Bran in Laboratory Scale

Effects of various enzymes and extraction conditions on yield and molecular weight of β‐glucans extracted from two batches of commercial oat bran produced in Sweden are reported. Hot‐water extraction with a thermostable α‐amylase resulted in an extraction yield of ≈76% of the β‐glucans, while the high peak molecular weight was maintained (1.6 × 10⁶). A subsequent protein hydrolysis significantly reduced the peak molecular weight of β‐glucans (by pancreatin to 908 × 10³ and by papain to 56 × 10³). These results suggest that the protein hydrolyzing enzymes may not be pure enough for purifying β‐glucans. The isolation scheme consisted of removal of lipids with ethanol extraction, enzymatic digestion of starch with α‐amylase, enzymatic digestion of protein using protease, centrifugation to remove insoluble material, removal of low molecular weight components using dialysis, precipitation of β‐glucans with ethanol, and air‐drying.     

Effect of Sorghum Decortication and Use of Protease Before Liquefaction with Thermoresistant α‐Amylase on Efficiency of Bioethanol Production

The aim was to study the dual effect of sorghum decortication and protease treatment before liquefaction with α‐amylase on the performance of subsequent steps of saccharification and fermentation. A bifactorial experiment with a level of confidence of P < 0.05 was designed to study differences among grains (maize, whole, and decorticated sorghum) and the effectiveness of the protease before liquefaction. Sorghum was decorticated to remove most of the pericarp and part of the germ and increase starch concentration of the feedstock. The decorticated sorghum had significantly higher starch hydrolysis during liquefaction compared with the whole kernel. These hydrolyzates contained ≈50% more reducing sugars than the untreated counterparts. At the end of saccharification, the final glucose concentration in hydrolyzates treated without protease was the highest for maize (180 mg/mL), followed by decorticated sorghum (165 mg/mL), and whole sorghum (145 mg/mL). Decortication and protease treatment had a significant effect on fermentation times. In decorticated sorghum mash treated with and without protease, fermentation times were 22 and 60 hr, respectively. The decorticated sorghum treated with protease yielded similar amounts of ethanol compared with maize and 44% more ethanol compared with the untreated whole sorghum. Both sorghum decortication and protease treatments before hydrolysis with α‐amylase are recommended to increase ethanol yields, lower yields of distilled grains, and save liquefaction, saccharification, and fermentation times.     

Einfluß von Sorte und Phosphordüngung auf den Phosphorgehalt und die Aktivität der sauren Phosphatasen von Weizen und Gerste. — Ein Beitrag zur Diagnose der P-Versorgung von Pflanzen —

Influence of cultivar and phosphorus application on P concentration and acid phosphatase activity in wheat and barley. — A contribution to the diagnosis of P supply of plants — Acid phosphatase activity compared to total P concentration was studied as a diagnostic criterion of the phosphorus nutritional status of wheat and barley. In a field experiment with wheat cv ‘Sperber’ the influence of P level on P_ase activity and P concentration was monitored at four developmental stages. Significant correlations with grain yield were found for P_ase activity at all four stages whereas P concentration was significantly correlated with grain yield in the early stage (DC 26–27) only. Genetic variability and influence of P supply on P_ase activity and P concentration was studied at low and at high P supply with 9 wheat and 23 barley cultivars grown for 4 and 5 weeks in pot experiments. The variability of P_ase activity caused by cultivars was higher than that caused by P supply. It is, therefore, concluded that the acid phosphatase activity is not suitable as a generally applicable tool for diagnosing P supply. In comparison, total P concentration of the plants was influenced to a higher degree by P supply than by cultivars. Total P is, therefore, more suitable as a criterion for diagnosing P supply of plants than P_ase activity. The samples, though, have to be collected in stages before DC 27.     

Fate of phosphorus in soil during a long‐term fertilization experiment in Finland

Accumulation and depletion of soil phosphorus (P) was studied in a long‐term (37 y) field experiment in Southern Finland. The loam soil had a high pH (7.5–7.7) due to an earlier liming. Spring barley, spring wheat, oat, and ryegrass, grown in rotation, were annually fertilized with 0, 32, or 67 kg P ha^?1 y^?1 (P₀, P₁, and P₂K) and sufficient N. The average dry matter grain yield 2,600 kg ha^?1 of the P₀ plots increased by about 500 kg ha^?1 at P₁ treatment and another 600 kg ha^?1 by P₂K. Soil samples were collected in 1978 (beginning), 1995, 2005, and 2015. According to the Chang and Jackson sequential extraction, the P₂K and P₁ treatments increased the inorganic soil P by 732 and 32 kg P ha ^?1 in 37 years, respectively, while the P₀ plots were depleted by –459 kg P ha ^?1. The P₂K treatment increased all four P fractions, extracted with NH₄Cl (easily soluble), NH₄F (Al‐P), NaOH (Fe‐P), and H₂SO₄ (Ca‐P). Continuous depletion (P₀) decreased the NH₄Cl‐P and NH₄F‐P pools, NaOH‐P and H₂SO₄‐P pools remaining stable. None of the P pools changed significantly at P₁. The remarkable gap between the measured change and the balance for the P₂K and P₁ treatments cannot be explained solely by lateral soil movement, meaning that a significant proportion of the applied P was lost either in surface runoff or transported below the investigated depth of 40 cm. Despite large P applications, the degree of P saturation reached only 20% in the P₂K topsoil, assuming a 50% reactivity of Fe and Al oxides. As derived from sorption isotherms, a high EPC₀ (i.e., equilibrium P concentration at zero net P sorption or desorption) of 1.30 mg L^?1 had been built up in the P₂K treatment, while in the P₁ treatment EPC₀ (0.33 mg L^?1) had remained unchanged and P depletion (P₀) had caused a decrease to 0.12 mg L^?1. These results demonstrate that P sorption and desorption properties respond strongly to both P fertilization and null fertilization treatments and that in a long‐term field experiment only a low proportion of the residual fertilizer P can be recovered from soil.     

秸秆还田替代化肥对黄土旱塬小麦产量及水肥利用的影响

为研究不同秸秆还田量替代部分化肥后对黄土高原冬小麦产量、水肥利用效率和硝态氮积累特征的影响。于2018—2021年在晋南黄土旱塬冬小麦种植区,设置秸秆不还田(S0)、秸秆半量还田(S1/2)、秸秆全量还田(S1)、秸秆2倍量还田(S2)4个还田量处理,研究不同秸秆还田量替代化肥对冬小麦产量形成、水肥利用效率及土壤硝态氮残留的影响。结果表明:在黄土旱塬麦区,秸秆还田替代8.3%~31.9% N和15.7%~63.2% P₂O₅的基础上,冬小麦产量总体随秸秆还田量增加而增加,且在降水丰沛年份,增加秸秆还田量可产生更大的产量效应。3年试验总体表明,S2处理冬小麦平均产量分别较S0、S1/2和S1处理分别高17.5%(P＜0.05),10.4%(P＜0.05),4.3%。连续3年秸秆还田均提高了冬小麦穗数,S2处理冬小麦平均单位面积穗数分别较S0、S1/2和[JP]S1处理高17.1%(P＜0.05),12.3%(P＜0.05),3.6%,不同处理间穗粒数和千粒重差异不显著。播前2 m土壤贮水量总体随着还田量的增加而增加,试验期间S2处理平均贮水量较S0提高8.3%(P＜0.05)。冬小麦生育期耗水量也表现为随着还田量的增加而增加,S2处理平均耗水量较S0处理增加了10.0%(P＜0.05)。不同处理间水分生产效率差异不显著,平均为14.9 kg/(hm²·mm)。在秸秆还田替代部分化肥基础上,旱塬冬小麦肥料利用效率随着秸秆还田量的增加而增加,其中,S2处理平均氮肥偏生产力(PFP_N)、氮肥农学效率(AE_N)、氮肥当季回收率(RE_N)和磷肥偏生产力(PFP_P)较S0处理分别提高66.4%,155.8%,113.5%,105.2%。连续3年秸秆不还田使0—2 m土壤硝态氮残留量较2018年播前提高100.6%,并随水向下淋溶在深层土壤中累积,而秸秆还田处理2 m土层硝态氮累积量均低于2018年播前,S2处理2 m土壤硝态氮残留量最低,为244.8 kg/hm²。综合考虑,晋南黄土旱塬麦区,在秸秆还田替代8.3%~31.9% N和15.7%~63.2% P₂O₅基地上,可增加播前土壤底墒,降低肥料残留,并提高肥料利用效率,进而提高冬小麦产量,其中,以2倍秸秆还田量(平均为7 477 kg/hm²)产生的产量和水肥效应最佳。研究结果可为推进旱作麦区面源污染防控和冬小麦高产高效绿色生产提供理论依据。     

Assessment of the soil phosphorus–mobilization potential by microbial reduction using the Fe(III)‐reduction test

The mobility of soil P is greatly influenced by the redox potential (Eh), which depends on the reducing activity of soil microorganisms. Standard extraction methods for the determination of the mobile soil P disregard the P mobilization caused by the influence of microorganisms on Eh, while P test methods that include soil microbial activities are lacking. Thus, the Fe(III)‐reduction test was investigated for its suitability to determine the P fraction that is mobilized in soil under reducing conditions (P_Red). In this test, the soil‐microbial reducing activity is measured from the microbial Fe(III) reduction combining a bioassay with 7 d incubation and a chemical extraction using 1M KCl. After the incubation, Eh in 26 different soil samples ranged from –282 to –123 mV. The concentration of P_Red in the soil samples ranged from concentrations below the limit of detection to 84.9 mg kg^–1 and was on average of all soil samples by a factor of 2.4 to 18 smaller than the P fractions determined by standard soil P–extraction methods. As standard agronomic and environmental P extractants, respectively, water (P_H2O), dithionite citrate bicarbonate (P_Dith), ammonium oxalate (P_Ox), ammonium lactate (P_AL), double lactate (P_DL), and sodium bicarbonate (P_Olsen) were selected. The P_Red fraction was not correlated with P_AL, P_DL, P_olsen, and the degree of P saturation, but with P_H2O (r = 0.43*), P_Dith (r = 0.60***), and P_Ox (r = 0.61***). Furthermore, P_Red depended on the concentration of amorphous Fe oxides (Fe_Ox, r = 0.53**) and was closely correlated with the concentration of microbially reduced Fe (Fe_Red, r = 0.94***). This indicated the influence of the Fe(III)‐reducing activity of soil microorganisms on P mobilization. In subsoils, low in Fe(III)‐reducing activity, no P was released by the Fe(III)‐reduction test, which was in contrast to the results from the other chemical extraction methods. Additional alterations of the microbial activity by inhibiting and activating amendments, respectively, clearly affected the microbial Fe(III)‐reducing activity and the associated release of P_Red. Thus, P_Red, determined by the Fe(III)‐reduction test, might be termed as the fraction that is potentially released from soil by microbial reduction.