Pesticides and nitrogen fixation in a paddy soil

The influence of six pesticides, applied singly or in combination, on ¹⁵N₂ incorporation and C₂H₂ reduction in a submerged paddy soil was studied under laboratory conditions. While the application of diazinon had no marked effect, benomyl, carbofuran, parathion, nitrofen and γ-HCH, at concentrations close to recommended field application rates (5μg ^?1) significantly stimulated N₂ fixation. Synergistic stimulatory effects of the pesticides on N₂ fixation were evident particularly in combinations of carbofuran with benomyl, nitrofen and γ-HCH. On the contrary, diazinon slightly retarded the stimulatory effect of benomyl and carbofuran. Results indicated that the differential effects of pesticides on N₂ fixation could be attributed partly to fluctuations in the population of certain groups of N₂ fixers in submerged soil.     

Kinetics of nitrogen fixation in a glucose-amended,anaerobically incubated soil

Nitrogen fixation and acetylene reduction activities were studied in a sandy loam soil amended with glucose (2% w/w) at field moisture content and incubated anaerobically. Optimum temperature for C₂H₂ reduction was about 37°C and the maximum was 45°C. Q₁₀ values were 1.6–3.7 in the range 10–35°C. Calculated activation energies were lower than those reported for Clostridium whole cells. Apparent K_m (C₂H₂) averaged 0.006 atm pC₂H₂ and the apparent K_m (N₂) was 0.095 atm pN₂. Low concentrations of C₂H₂ competed strongly with N₂ for the soil N₂ase (apparent K[ini] was 0.0003 atm pC₂H₂ with 0.8 atm pN₂). A relatively high concentration of ethylene (0.22 atm pC₂H₄) caused 30–40 per cent inhibition of N₂ase activity (measured as ¹⁵N₂ fixation) but the lower concentrations likely to be encountered in C₂H₂ assays had no significant effect. Conversion factors (C₂H₄/N₂ molar ratios) determined under various conditions ranged from 0.75 to 3.6. A value of 2.6 was obtained using the most favourable short-term C₂H₂ assays.     

Atmospheric nitrogen fixation by photosynthetic microorganisms in a submerged Philippine soil

Photosynthetic nitrogen-fixing microorganisms help maintain the nitrogen level of soil in rice paddies when environmental factors favor the growth of microorganisms. Our studies showed that blue-green algae in particular have a significant role in nitrogen-fixation in light. The most active nitrogen-fixation by microorganisms occurred in the soil shortly after it had been submerged under light. The longer the submergence, the less nitrogen microorganisms were fixed. In a greenhouse experiment, the fixed nitrogen appeared not to be immediately available to the rice plant. The amount of nitrogen that can be fixed in the field by nitrogen-fixing microorganisms in paddy water was estimated using the acetylene reduction method during the rice-growing period. The amount of nitrogen fixation by these microorganisms is not sufficient to account for the amount of nitrogen uptake by rice during the rice-growing period.     

Aphid honeydew sugars and soil nitrogen fixation

Insect honeydew stimulation of soil non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation was investigated. Microcosm experiments showed that single sugar solutions added to soils at rates approximating honeydew deposition increased N₂ fixation rates. The common honeydew sugar, melezitose, did not stimulate N₂ fixation to a greater extent than any other honeydew sugar tested.     

Effect of carbon sources on asymbiotic nitrogen fixation in a paddy soil

The effect of various carbon sources on asymbiotic N₂ fixation in a paddy soil was studied by C₂H₂ reduction and ¹⁵N tracer techniques. N₂ fixation increased with increasing concentrations of cellulose and rice straw, but the former was more effective. N₂ fixation was considerably enhanced in soils amended with glucose, sucrose, succinate, acetate, butyrate, pyruvate or n-propanol, while n-butanol, ethanol, lignin or paraffin were ineffective. Succinate at low moisture content and butyrate under flooded conditions stimulated N₂ fixation during a 15-day incubation.     

Effects of pentachlorophenol on asymbiotic nitrogen fixation in soil

The effect of 50, 100, 150, and 400 μg sodium pentachlorophenate (Na-PCP) per gram soil was studied in nonsterile soil incubated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, and in sterilized soil inoculated withAzotobacter sp. isolated from the soil. N₂ fixation was determined by acetylene reduction. Pentachlorophenate at a concentration of 50 μg g^?1 had an inhibitory effect in nonsterile soil incubated aerobically while strong inhibition of dinitrogen fixation in nonsterile soil occurred in the presence of 100 μg g^?1 and above. The EC₅₀ values for the inhibition of nitrogenase activity in nonsterile soil incubated aerobically and anaerobically and in sterilized soil inoculated withAzotobacter sp. suspensions were 49.8±1.4 μg Na-PCP g^?1, 186.8±2.8 μg Na-PCP g^?1, and 660.8±29.3 μg Na-PCP g^?1, respectively.     

Evaluation of dwell as a nitrification inhibitor and its interaction with nitrogen source and soil properties

Abstract

A method is described in which boron is extracted from ignited soils with 0.05M mannitol and 0.01M calcium chloride. This method extracts similar amounts of boron to the commonly used hot‐water soluble method. Both methods are equally well related to the development of boron deficiency and with boron taken up by Pinus radiata D. Don seedlings grown in pot trials but the mannitol method is better suited to routine analyses. Increased mannitol‐extractable boron in surface soils was related to increased growth and less boron deficiency symptom development by P. radiata grown on yellow podzolic but not on yellow and red earth soils. In the yellow podzolic soils there was little extractable boron below the A1 horizon. In contrast the distribution of boron in the profile of earth soils was more uniform and thus the analysis of surface soils did not reflect the total amount of available boron.     

Sulfate-reducing bacteria and nitrogen fixation in flooded rice soil

Acetyle reduction and ¹⁵N studies showed that the addition of sulfate to flooded soil with rice straw enhanced N₂ fixation. The extent of the enhancement was dependent on the sulfate concentration. Sulfate also increased the population of SO₄^2? reducing bacteria and was completely reduced to sulfide by those microorganisms. Purified cultures of soil isolates were capable of C₂H₂ reduction. Based on this evidence, SO₄^2? reducing bacteria were considered responsible for the increase in N₂ fixation but only 1–2 mg N₂ were fixed g^1? SO₄^2? reduced. We conclude that the contribution of SO₄^2? reducing bacteria to the total N₂ fixation in flooded soil is unimportant.     

Effectiveness of dicyandiamide as a nitrification inhibitor in biochar-amended soil

Overuse of nitrogen (N) fertilizers may lead to many environmental issues via N leaching into groundwater and agricultural runoff into surface water. Biochar, a sustainable soil amendment agent, has been widely studied because of its potential to retain moisture and nutrients. However, recent studies have shown that biochar has a very limited ability to improve the retention of negatively charged nitrite (NO₂^-) or nitrate (NO₃^-). Although positively charged ammonium (NH₄⁺) can be better held by biochar, it is usually susceptible to nitrification and can be easily transformed into highly mobile NO₂^-and/or NO₃^-. In practice, dicyandiamide (DCD) has been used to inhibit nitrification, preserving N in its relatively immobile form as NH₄⁺. Therefore, it is likely that the effects of DCD and biochar in soils would be synergistic. In this study, the influences of biochar on the effectiveness of DCD as a nitrification inhibitor in a biochar-amended soil were investigated by combining the experimental results of incubation, adsorption isotherm, and column transport with the simulated results of different mathematical models. Biochar was found to stimulate the degradation of DCD, as the maximum degradation rate slightly increased from 1.237 to 1.276 mg kg^-1 d^-1 but the half-saturation coefficient significantly increased from 5.766 to 9.834 mg kg^-1. Considering the fact that the availability of DCD for nitrification inhibition was continuously decreasing because of its degradation, a novel model assuming non-competitive inhibition was developed to simulate nitrification in the presence of a decreasing amount of DCD. Depending on the environmental conditions, if the degradation of DCD and NH₄⁺ in biochar-amended soil is not significant, improved contact due to the mitigated spatial separation between NH₄⁺ and DCD could possibly enhance the effectiveness of DCD.     

Laboratory evaluation of dicyandiamide as a soil nitrification inhibitor

Abstract

Laboratory studies to evaluate dicyandiamide (DCD) as a soil nitrification inhibitor showed that it is considerably more effective than several compounds that have been patented or proposed as fertilizer amendments for retarding nitrification of fertilizer nitrogen (N) in soil, but is considerably less effective than 2‐ethynylpyridine, nitrapyrin (N‐Serve), etridiazole (Dwell), 3‐methylpyrazole‐l‐carboxamide (MPC), or 4‐amino‐l,2,4‐triazole (ATC). Other findings in studies reported were as follows: a) DCD is more effective for inhibiting nitrification of ammonium‐N than of urea‐N; b) the effectiveness of DCD as a nitrification inhibitor is markedly affected by soil temperature and soil type and is limited by the susceptibility of DCD to leaching; c) DCD has very little, if any, effect on urea hydrolysis, denitrification, or seed germination in soil; d) products of DCD decomposition in soil (guanylurea and guanidine) have little, if any, effect on nitrification compared with DCD; e) in the absence of leaching, the persistence of the inhibitory effect of DCD on nitrification decreases with increase in soil temperature from 10 to 30°C, but the inhibitory effect of 50 μg DCD g^‐1 soil is substantial even after incubation of DCD‐treated soils at 20 or 30°C for 24 weeks.     

Effects of 2,4-d on nitrogen fixation and carbon dioxide evolution in a soil microcosm

Two concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) 1.7 kg ha^?1 and 3.4 kg ha^?1 were applied to oats (Avena sativa L. ‘Orbit’) grown in terrestrial microcosms in a sandy soil. Carbon dioxide evolution and non-symbiotic N₂ fixation (C₂H₂ reduction) were measured weekly. On day 70 of the study, 2,4-D was applied a second time at the same application rates and soil CO₂ evolution and N₂ fixation were measured more frequently. Soil CO₂ evolution over 24 h period was significantly decreased by 40 to 50% at both application rates of 2,4-D. This response lasted less than 7 days. Nitrogen fixation was unaffected by 2,4-D except for an unexplained decrease observed in the 1.7 kg ha^?1 treatment 35 days after 2,4-D application. This effect was not observed on the following sampling date. The second application of 2,4-D failed to produce any significant change in soil CO₂ evolution or N₂ fixation. From these studies we conclude soil microbial populations either degraded or became acclimated to 2,4-D as a result of the initial application and that 2,4-D has no significant adverse effect on N₂ fixation or soil CO₂ evolution.     

氨的固定对土壤微生物氮的测定的影响

The effect of ammonium fixation on the estimation of soil microbial biomass N was studied by the standard fumigation-incubation(FI) and fumigation-extraction (FE) methods,NO3-N content of fumigated soil changed little during incubation,while the fixed NH4^ in soils capable of fixing NH4^ increased with the increase of K2SO4-extractable NH4-N.one day fumigation increased both extractable NH4^ and fixed NH4^ ,However,prolonged fumigation gave no further increase.One day fumigation caused significant loss of NO3-N,while prolonged fumigation caused no further loss.For soils tested,the net increases of fixed NH4^ in fumigated soil equaled to 0-94% of NH4-N flush measured by the FI metod,and 1-74% of extractable N measured by the FE method.depending on different soils.It is concluded that the ammonium fixation was one of the processes taking place in soils during fumigation as well as incubation ofter fumigation and should not be neglected in the estimation of microbial biomass nitrogen by either FI or FE method.     

Quantification of nitrogen fixation by the peanut/Rhizobium symbiotic system in a virgin sandy soil

Nitrogen balance studies were conducted to quantify the nitrogen fixed by peanut/Rhizobium symbiotic system under field conditions in a sandy soil. Large scale inoculation with three NifTAL strains of cowpea rhizobia, 1000, 169, 1371 was done using two inoculation techniques: peat-based inoculant or injection of inoculant with irrigation water through an injection tank attached to the central pivot system. The results show nitrogen fixation amounting up to 186 kg N ha^?1 in peat-based inoculant and 171 kg N ha^?1 in liquid inoculant injected through the irrigation system. However, no significant differences in yield response were recorded between both inoculation techniques.     

Asymbiotic biological nitrogen fixation in a temperate grassland as affected by management practices

Estimates of asymbiotic biological N fixation (BNF) in temperate grasslands are few with large variations. In the past six decades, European grasslands have been subjected to intensive management practices and presently it is not known how asymbiotic BNF is influenced by these practices. Our objective was to assess the impact of fertilizer application and mowing frequency on asymbiotic BNF in a Central European grassland. In 2008, we established a three-factorial experiment with two fertilizer treatments (no fertilizer application and combined nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization at 180–30–100 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), two mowing frequencies (cut once and thrice per year) and three sward compositions through the application of herbicides (control, monocot- and dicot-enhanced swards). Three years after the initial sward manipulation, there was no more difference in functional group composition. Between June 2011 and May 2012, we measured in-situ asymbiotic BNF using the acetylene reduction assay, calibrated with ¹⁵N₂-fixation method. Across treatments, asymbiotic BNF rates in the 0–5-cm soil depth ranged from 1.7 (±0.2 SE) kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for fertilized plots cut once a year to 5.7 (±2.3 SE) kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for unfertilized plots cut thrice a year. Fertilization decreased asymbiotic BNF, suggesting that the potential positive effect of increased soil P levels might have been overruled by the negative effect of increased soil mineral N levels. Intensive mowing stimulated asymbiotic BNF, which was probably due to an increase in rhizodeposition. Our calibration of the acetylene reduction assay with the ¹⁵N₂-fixation method resulted in a conversion factor of 0.61, which largely deviates from the theoretical conversion factor of 3. Furthermore, laboratory incubations under increased soil moisture and temperature conditions overestimated BNF rates compared to in-situ measurements. Thus, laboratory measurements with altered soil moisture, temperature or disturbed soil may lead to strong biases in estimates of asymbiotic BNF. Our results suggest that input of N through BNF may be considerable in temperate grasslands. We conclude that BNF studies should be conducted in-situ and that the acetylene reduction assay should be calibrated against ¹⁵N₂-fixation calibration for reliable estimates.     

脲酶抑制剂不同用量对土壤氮素供应的影响

为研究在红壤双季稻田脲酶抑制剂适宜的添加比例,采用田间小区试验研究不同水平的脲酶抑制剂N-丁基硫代磷酰三胺(NBPT)对双季稻田土壤氮素转化的影响。本文设置NBPT的施用量为尿素的0. 5%、0. 75%、1. 0%、1. 25%、1. 5%5个水平。结果表明:与农民习惯施氮(单施尿素N 135 kg/hm~2)处理相比,NBPT与尿素的比例1. 0%时,对早、晚稻的产量与氮素回收率均无显著影响,当NBPT添加比例为1. 0%、1. 25%、1. 5%时,早、晚稻的产量以及氮素回收率均显著提高,且添加量在1. 0%与1. 5%的两个处理之间无显著差异;与单施尿素相比,添加NBPT大于1. 0%时,土壤脲酶活性和铵态氮含量在分蘖期显著降低,铵态氮含量在孕穗期显著升高,而硝酸还原酶活性、硝态氮含量及微生物量碳、氮含量始终无明显差异,孕穗期的脲酶活性也无显著差异;通过逐步回归分析发现,水稻分蘖期与孕穗期土壤中铵态氮含量对水稻产量影响显著,而且孕穗期的影响大于分蘖期,其余指标则对产量无明显影响,由此可知,添加NBPT可保持孕穗期较高的土壤铵态氮含量可能是其增产与提高氮肥利用率的主要原因,NBPT在稻田的适宜添加量为尿素用量的1. 0%以上。     

Interaction of iron chelate and nitrogen fixation in peanuts grown on calcareous soil

The interaction of iron (Fe) nutrition and nitrogen (N₂) fixation was examined in peanuts grown in the field for two growing seasons. The treatments were: a) inoculated with Rhizobium, not fertilized with N, b) uninoculated, fertilized with N, and c) uninoculated not fertilized with N. These treatments were tested with or without Fe chelate application. Inoculated peanuts produced up to 42% higher N yield than the uninoculated, non‐fertilized plants. Moderately chlorotic peanuts fertilized with Fe did not increase significantly their yield but had bigger nodules than peanuts not fertilized with Fe. There were no interactions between Fe and N treatments, indicating that both nutrients were important for growth and for N₂ fixation. Remedy of Fe chlorosis on calcareous soils with FeEDDHA will not reduce N₂ fixation.     

Soybean nodulation and nitrogen fixation on soil amended with plant residues

Residues from some tree species may contain allelopathic chemicals that have the potential to inhibit plant growth and symbiotic N₂-fixing microorganisms. Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] was grown in pots to compare nodulation and N₂-fixation responses of the following soil amendments: control soil, leaf compost, red oak (Quercus rubra L.) leaves, sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) leaves, sycamore (Platanus occidentalis L.) leaves, black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) leaves, rye (Secale cereale L.) straw, and corn (Zea mays L.) stover. Freshly fallen leaves were collected from urban shade trees. Soil was amended with 20 g kg^-1 air-dried, ground plant materials. Nodulating and nonnodulating isolines of Clark soybean were grown to the R2 stage to determine N₂-fixation by the difference method. Although nodulation was not adversely affected, soybean grown on leaf-amended soil exhibited temporary N deficiency until nodulation. Nodule number was increased by more than 40% for soybean grown on amended soil, but nodule dry matter per plant generally was not changed compared with control soil. Nonnodulating plants were severely N deficient and stunted as a consequence of N immobilization. Nodulating soybean plants grown on leaf or crop residue amended soil were more dependent on symbiotically fixed N and had lower dry matter yields than the controls. When leaves were composted, the problem of N immobilization was avoided and dry matter yield was not reduced. No indication of an allelopathic inhibition on nodulation or N₂-fixation from heavy application of oak, maple, sycamore, or walnut leaves to soil was observed.     

Evaluation of 3-methylpyrazole-1-carboxamide as a soil nitrification inhibitor

Summary Laboratory studies to evaluate 3-methylpyrazole-1-carboxamide (MPC) as a soil nitrification inhibitor showed that it was comparable to nitrapyrin (N-Serve) for inhibiting nitrification of ammonium in soil, but was not as effective as etridiazole (Dwell) or 2-ethynylpyridine. They also showed that the effectiveness of MPC as a soil nitrification inhibitor is markedly affected by soil type and soil temperature, that MPC is more effective for inhibiting nitrification of ammonium-N than of urea-N, and that MPC has little, if any, effect on hydrolysis of urea or denitrification of nitrate in soil. These observations and other work discussed indicate that MPC is one of the most promising compounds so far proposed for inhibition of nitrification in soil.     

Labile soil organic matter as a potential nitrogen source in golf greens

The loss of fertilizer N from golf greens can be high depending upon management (irrigation schedule, N source, rate and timing of fertilizer application) as well as soil conditions. Although soil organic matter (SOM) is acknowledged as a major source of N and other nutrients, its potential as an N source seems to be neglected in the management of golf greens. The susceptibility of SOM to degradation is one indication of how active a role SOM plays as a nutrient source. An extraction method developed by Olk et al. [Geoderma 65 (1995) 195] distinguishes humic acid fractions by their binding to dominant stabilizing soil cations and separates them into calcium-bound (CaHA) and non calcium-bound or mobile (MHA) fractions. Mobile humic acid is a relatively young, N-rich HA fraction that does not appear to form stable complexes with Ca. The MHA could therefore play a greater role in nutrient availability than CaHA. We determined C and N distributions within SOM extracted from these two HA fractions in 11 golf greens ranging in age from 4 to 28 yr. Because SOM in golf greens is recently formed, and MHA is an N-rich fraction representing an early stage of SOM evolution, we hypothesized that the MHA fraction would account for a larger proportion of soil organic N than CaHA. The amounts of both HA-C and HA-N increased significantly with green age. MHA accounted for a larger proportion (20-27%) of total soil C than CaHA-C (8-14%). MHA was also enriched in N compared to CaHA with consistently smaller C-to-N ratios. Thus, the greater abundance of MHA and its higher N concentration accounted for a larger proportion of soil organic N (24-45%). The equivalence of MHA-N ranged between 250 kg N ha⁻¹ for a 4 yr-old green and 775 kg N ha⁻¹ for a 21 yr-old green. Thus, soils of established greens contain significant quantities of labile SOM rich in N that could through mineralization supply part of the fertilizer N requirement of turf grass. A greater understanding of the dynamics of this resource is needed if we are to manage golf greens for optimal use without negative consequences to the environment.     

Perennial winged bean yield and nitrogen fixation improvement with soil fertility treatments of a typic eutrustox

The perennial legume, Winged Bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L) DC), has potential as a high protein food crop for the humid, tropical regions of the world. Edible seed pods, oil seed grain, leaves, flowers, and unique high protein tubers provide abundant nutritious components desirable for improved human diets. However, soil characteristics and fertility levels influence plant growth, yields and nitrogen fixation capability of this legume. Objectives of this study were to determine soil‐plant nutrient influences on vigorous regrowth, pod and tuber yields, nitrogenase (C₂H₂ red.) activity levels, and nodule cytosol components of the perennial Siempre cultivar grown on a Typic Eutrustox during three years, 1978–1980.

Available soil phosphorus was a first limiting plant nutrient during all three years of plant age. Effects of combined 100 mg P with 200 mg K/kg soil were highly significant for every parameter and plant age. Pod and seed yields more than doubled with PK addition compared to the check. Tuber growth, nodule mass and nitrogenase activity levels more than trebled with PK treatments as compared to the check. Both elemental P and K were significantly increased within the nodule cytosol of fertilized plants. Cytosol Na was significantly decreased with soil K additions. The best fit multiple regression was: nitrogenase = 1.99 nodule wt. + 6.34 tuber wt. + 0.39 tuber % N + 5.08 cytosol P + 1.55 cytosol K ‐ 0.45 cytosol Na, R² = 95.5, C.V. = 11.2%. The dominant nodule cytosol enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and glutamine synthetase (GS), significantly increased with soil K additions regardless of P treatments. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) also contributed significantly with multiple regression for nitrogenase = 1.07 GS + 2.1 AST + 1.74 GOGAT ‐ 1.76 GDH + 12.89 Ureide, R² = .89, C.V. = 17.3%. Highly significant increases in nodule cytosol ureide composition with K soil additions has interest because of the role as a nitrogenous nonprotein component for many legumes. Increases in growth, nodulation and nitrogenase activity levels resulted with increased K levels of 0, 100, 200 and 300 mg K/kg soil when soil P and Ca were not limiting.