Decomposition and nitrogen release of understorey plant residues in biological and integrated apple orchards under field conditions in New Zealand

In grassed-down apple orchards in New Zealand, the understorey vegetation is usually mown and the plant residues are returned to the orchard floors as a source of nutrients. It is, therefore, important to determine the decomposition pattern and the rate of N release from understorey plant residues. In this study, the decomposition and N release of surface-placed understorey plant residues were determined in the field and compared across treatments of grassed-down biological (BFP) and integrated fruit production (IFP) orchards in two different locations (Lincoln and Clyde) in New Zealand using the litterbag technique. At Lincoln, the field experiment was a randomised complete block design with three different treatments (two BFPs, one IFP) each with three replicates; while at Clyde, the field experiment consisted of non-replicated apple orchard plots with three treatments (two IFPs, one BFP). A comparison was also made between surface-placed and soil-buried understorey plant residues in a BFP orchard at one location. Samples of understorey plant residues collected from orchard mowings in the respective treatments were returned to the same treatment plot in litterbags and retrieved at intervals of 90 days for 360-450 days. Results showed that the single exponential decay model, Y=A₀ e^-kt, accounted significantly (PА.001) for 97-99% of the variation in the decomposition and N release patterns, which ranged from 6.0᎒^-3-9.6᎒^-3 day^-1 and 7.0᎒^-3-13.0᎒^-3 day^-1, respectively. Half-lives for C and N of residues were approximately 70-120 days and 50-110 days, respectively. Soil-buried plant residues showed more rapid decomposition and N release compared with those of surface-placed plant residues (80% vs. 54% in 90 days). In general, plant residue decomposition and N release were significantly more rapid in IFP than in BFP treatments (13.0᎒^-3 vs 7.0᎒^-3 day^-1 for N release). Overall, differences in plant residue decomposition and N release rates related to understorey plant residue quality and treeline management practices rather than the orchard system as a whole.     

Effect of spore inoculum and agricultural practices on the vertical distribution of the biocontrol plant-growth-promoting bacterium <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pasteuria penetrans</Emphasis> and growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne incognita</Emphasis>-infected tomato

Three concentrations of Pasteuria spores applied to soil and some agricultural practices were evaluated for their effects on spore attachment to nematodes and biocontrol of Meloidogyne incognita on tomato in a microplot experiment. Applications of Pasteuria at concentrations of 5᎒¹⁰ spores/m² increased tomato fruit yield per plant by 46% compared to non-Pasteuria treatments but also increased nematode densities in soil at harvest time. M. incognita juveniles recovered from plots where Pasteuria was applied at 5᎒¹⁰ spores/m² showed greater spore attachment than those with application rates of 2.5᎒⁹ spores/m² or 5᎒⁹ spores/m². Pasteuria spores penetrated to 30-40 cm soil depth in a volcanic ash sandy soil after application of spore suspensions to the soil surface. Densities of over 2.5᎒⁴ spores/g of soil were reached at 0-30 cm soil depth only when the application rate was 5᎒¹⁰ spores/m², but at harvest and after fallow densities of about 2.5᎒⁴ spores/g of soil were also reached in the top 10 cm of soil at 2.5᎒⁹ and 5᎒⁹ spores/m² application rates. Spore densities in soil decreased after 6 months of fallow when densities at harvest time were higher than 10⁵ spores/g of soil. Tillage and additional watering 2 days after spore application increased spore densities in soil at harvest throughout the soil depth (0-40 cm).     

Time course of N<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation and growth of chickpea

The ¹⁵N isotopic dilution technique was used to assess N₂ fixation in desi chickpea (Cicer arientinum L.) cv. Myles at different growth stages as influenced by inoculation method. In this growth chamber study, no significant differences in nodule dry weight, amount of N₂ fixed and plant dry matter were observed between seed inoculation with seed-applied peat inoculant and soil-applied granular inoculant placed 2.5 cm below the seed. However, seed inoculation with liquid inoculant was inferior to the seed-applied peat or the granular inoculant for all parameters measured at all sampling dates. The seed-applied peat and granular inoculant treatments fixed 4.8 and 4.1 mg N plant^-1, respectively, by the late vegetative stage, and reached a maximum of 20.6 and 25.6 mg N plant^-1, respectively, by the late pod-filling stage. These values accounted for 30.5% and 34.9% of the total plant N for the peat and granular inoculant, respectively, by late pod-filling. For the liquid inoculant treatment, the amount of N₂ fixed increased from 2.3 mg N plant^-1 by the late vegetative stage to a maximum of 9.6 mg N plant^-1 which was 22.2% of total plant N by the mid pod-filling stage. The highest daily N₂ fixation rate for the peat and granular inoculant was 0.9 mg N plant^-1 and occurred between flowering and early pod-filling, whereas that for the liquid occurred between early and mid pod-filling stages (0.23 mg N plant^-1). After the mid pod-filling stage, little or no N₂ was fixed in all treatments. Plant dry matter increased from the late vegetative stage to physiological maturity but the greatest dry matter accumulation occurred between the late vegetative and early pod-filling stages in all treatments.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from the wheat-growing season in eighteen Chinese paddy soils: an outdoor pot experiment

To identify the key soil parameters influencing N₂O emission from the wheat-growing season, an outdoor pot experiment with a total of 18 fertilized Chinese soils planted with wheat was conducted in Nanjing, China during the 2000/2001 wheat-growing season. Average seasonal N₂O-N emission for all 18 soils was 610 mg m^-2, ranging from 193 to 1,204 mg m^-2, approximately a 6.2-fold difference between the maximum and the minimum. Correlation analysis indicated that the seasonal N₂O emission was negatively correlated with soil organic C (r²=0.5567, P<0.001), soil total N (r²=0.4684, P<0.01) and the C:N ratio (r²=0.4530, P<0.01), respectively. A positive dependence of N₂O emission on the soil pH (r²=0.3525, P<0.01) was also observed. No clear relationships existed between N₂O emission and soil texture, soil trace elements of Fe, Cu and Mg, and above-ground biomass of the wheat crop at harvest. A further investigation suggested that the seasonal N₂O-N emission (E, mg m^-2) can be quantitatively explained by E=1005-34.2SOC+4.1S_a (R²=0.7703, n=18, P=0.0000). SOC and S_a represent the soil organic C (g kg^-1) and available S (mg kg^-1), respectively.     

Cultivar-specific dinitrogen fixation in Vicia faba studied with the nitrogen-15 natural abundance method

N fixation by different faba bean (Vicia faba) cultivars was studied using the natural abundance method. The delta ¹⁵N ('¹⁵N) values of the faba beans and the reference plants differed by 4.6-7.0‰. The non-nodulating V. faba cv. F48 seems to be the best reference plant for nodulated and N₂-fixing V. faba. Significant differences occurred in the quantity of N₂ fixation of six V. faba cultivars. The average fraction of N derived from air (FNdfa) estimated from leaf material ranged between 69 and 80%. Shoot-based estimates of N fixation varied between 200 and 360 kg N ha^-1. N fixation was affected more by differences in FNdfa than by differences in total N accumulation. Fixation data calculated with the non-nodulated reference plant V. faba cv. F48 were lower than those calculated with cabbage (Brassica oleracea) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne) as reference plants. Of all reference plants, non-N₂-fixing V. faba cv. F48 has a root system and temporal pattern of N assimilation that is the one most similar to that of N₂-fixing V. faba plants. Cv. F48 showed senescence as did the other V. faba cultivars after pod-fill was complete, whereas cabbage, ryegrass and camomile had a later senescence period. N fixation during pod-filling appears more important for a good yield than N₂ fixation abilities in the earlier growth period. The best V. faba cultivars left about 100 kg N ha^-1 in residual material on the field as fertilization for the following crops.     

Nitrous oxide emissions from kharif and rabi legumes grown on an alluvial soil

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions were monitored for a period of 60 days in a pot culture study, from two kharif (June-September) and two rabi (October-March) season legumes, which were grown on a Typic Ustochrept, alluvial sandy loam soil. Black gram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper), var. T-9, and soybean (Glycine max L. Merril), var. Punjab 1, were taken up in kharif season whereas lentil (Lens esculenta Moench), var. JLS-1, and Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum L.), var. BGD-86, were grown in rabi season. All the crops were grown with and without urea and one pot (containing soil but with no fertilizer or crop) was used as a control. Nitrous oxide emissions were significantly higher in unfertilized cropped soil than in the control, while the addition of urea to the crops further increased the emissions. Significant emissions occurred during third and seventh week after sowing for all the treatments in both kharif and rabi seasons. In kharif, soil cropped with soybean had higher total N₂O-N emission than soil sown with black gram both under fertilized and unfertilized conditions; while in rabi, lentil had a higher total N₂O-N emission than Bengal gram under both fertilized and unfertilized conditions. In kharif, total N₂O-N emissions ranged from 0.53 (control) to 3.84 kg ha^-1 (soybean+urea), while in rabi it ranged from 0.45 (control) to 3.06 kg ha^-1 (lentil+urea). Higher N₂O-N emissions in kharif than in rabi was probably due to the favorable effect of temperature on nitrification and denitrification in the former season. The results of the study indicated that legume crops may lead to an increase in N₂O formation and emission from soils, the extent of which varies from crop to crop.     

Evaluation of inoculation procedures for Calliandra calothyrsus Meisn. grown in tree nurseries

A series of inoculation experiments was conducted in glasshouses in Senegal and Kenya to evaluate inoculation procedures designed to optimise nodulation and N₂ fixation of Calliandra calothyrsus Meisn. seedlings. Nodulation and plant growth were used as indices of inoculation success. In an experiment carried out in sterile peat/vermiculite mixture, it was established that inoculation of C. calothyrsus with an effective rhizobial strain at the low rate of 1᎒² rhizobia per seedling was satisfactory for nodulation and growth, but further response occurred at rates of up to 1᎒⁹. A second experiment in (unsterilised) Sangalkam soil (Senegal) containing indigenous rhizobia demonstrated that the most successful form of inoculation was liquid inoculant applied around the root collar immediately after transplanting. This method was more successful than seed inoculation or application of alginate bead inoculant. A third experiment was conducted using filtermud inoculant in Leonard jars and unsterilised Muguga nursery soil from Kenya, containing a large population of indigenous rhizobia. Application of liquid inoculant to seedlings was better than seed inoculation. On the basis of our study, we recommend that C. calothyrsus seedlings raised in the nursery should be inoculated with a liquid inoculant immediately or soon after germination.     

Naidid worms (Oligochaeta, Naididae) in paddy soils as affected by the application of legume mulch and/or tillage practice

Reproduction, intrinsic rate of natural increase and population density of naidid worms were investigated in submerged paddy fields and the laboratory. No tillage plus legume-mulching increased the population density of naidid worms. Soil treatments with neither tillage nor legume mulch, and tillage practice alone, did not increase the number of worms. Dero dorsalis Ferronnière was dominant in soil of the no-tillage treatment. In laboratory experiments, legume-mulching with the proper amount of dissolved O₂ accelerated asexual reproduction of D. dorsalis through zooid budding. For the legume and aeration treatment, (N_i+1-N_i) N_i^-1 values (where N_i and N_i+1 are the populations at times t=i and t=i+1) were plotted against N_i+1. Utilizing this linear relation, this data fitted the logistic curve (r²=0.885, P<0.05). Based on the linear relation, the intrinsic rate of natural increase (r), carrying capacity (K), and doubling time (T) were calculated as 0.2125 day^-1, 12,666 m^-2, and 3.26 days, respectively. The amounts of legumes applied were highly correlated with the population of D. dorsalis, indicating that the weight of legume is a limiting factor with respect to carrying capacity. A literature review indicated a significant correlation (P<0.01) between intrinsic rate of natural increase and maximum body length of naidids with temperature conversion of the growth rate. Sexually mature worms were rarely found in submerged paddy fields. Sexual reproduction seems to be adopted in response to soil desiccation after paddy field drainage.     

Variation in symbiotic characters of alfalfa cultivars inoculated with Sinorhizobium meliloti strains

In this paper the interactive effects of different Sinorhizobium meliloti strains and alfalfa cultivars on the host plant growth and nodulation were evaluated. In the experiments, six alfalfa cultivars (Giza-1, Ismailia-94, Kometa, Radius, Luzella and Legend) as well as five S. meliloti strains (ARC-1, ARC-2, A₂, TAL and L5-30) were included. The alfalfa cultivars, Giza-1 and Ismailia-94, exhibited the highest average dry forage weight with all studied strains. Generally, plants inoculated with the S. meliliti ARC-2 strain produced significantly higher shoot and root dry weights over all evaluated cultivars. The strain L5-30 of S. meliloti produced the highest nodule number with all the studied alfalfa cultivars whereas, among tested cultivars, N₂-fixing Luzella showed the highest nodulation with the majority of rhizobial strains. Analysis of correlation coefficients for the studied alfalfa-rhizobium associations revealed positive and significant relationships of shoot dry weight with root dry weight. In contrast, nodule number per plant correlated negatively with forage dry weight of plants. It was also found that nodule number per plant is not a promising trait with which to select the most effective N₂-fixing rhizobium-legume systems; selection of such symbiotic associations should be done on the basis of shoot and root dry weights.     

Mitigation of N2O emission from an alluvial soil by application of karanjin

An incubation experiment was conducted to study N₂O emissions from a Typic Ustochrept, alluvial soil, fertilized with urea and urea combined with different levels of two nitrification inhibitors, viz karanjin and dicyandiamide (DCD). Karanjin [a furano-flavonoid, obtained from karanja (Pongamia glabra Vent.) seeds] and DCD were incorporated at rates of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25% of applied urea-N (100 mg kg^-1 soil), to the soil adjusted to field capacity moisture content. The highest N₂O flux (366 µg N₂O-N kg^-1 soil day^-1) was obtained on day 1 after incubation from soil fertilized with urea without any inhibitor. The presence of the inhibitors appreciably reduced the mean N₂O flux from the urea-treated soils. The application of karanjin resulted in a higher mitigation of total N₂O-N emission (92-96%) compared to DCD (60-71%). Rates of N₂O flux ranged from 0.9 to 140 µg N₂O-N kg^-1 soil day^-1 from urea combined with different levels of the two inhibitors (coefficient of variation=24-272%). Karanjin (62-75%) was also more effective than DCD (9-42%) in inhibiting nitrification during the 30-day incubation period.     

Dehydrogenase activity, redox potential, and emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide from Cambisols under flooding conditions

Samples from topsoils (0-10 cm) of 16 Polish arable Cambisols developed from different parent materials (sand, silt, sandy gravel, loess, loam and clay), were incubated under flooded conditions with NO₃^-. Dehydrogenase activity, redox potential (Eh), and emissions of CO₂ and N₂O were measured. According to dehydrogenase activity, the soils were divided into two groups: those of low activity (I), where the final dehydrogenase activity was <0.03 nmol triphenylformazan (TPF) g^-1 min^-1, and those with high final dehydrogenase activity (II), >0.03 nmol TPF g^-1 min^-1. Generation of CO₂ and of N₂O under flooded conditions was shown to be significantly related to dehydrogenase activity. Soil dehydrogenase activity increased curvilinearly with organic matter content, showed a maximum at pH 7.1, and decreased curvilinearly with Eh. The final cumulative CO₂ production increased linearly with soil organic matter content and curvilinearly with dehydrogenase activity and decreased linearly with Eh. The most significant relationship was found with dehydrogenase activity (R²=0.74, P<0.001). The final cumulative N₂O production decreased linearly with Eh and increased curvilinearly with pH and dehydrogenase activity but linearly with organic matter content; the most significant relation being found with dehydrogenase activity (R²=0.69, P<0.001). The CO₂:N₂O ratio in the gases evolved increased curvilinearly with Eh and decreased with dehydrogenase activity and N₂O and CO₂ production.     

Bioavailability of triazine herbicides in a sandy soil profile

The bioavailability of atrazine was evaluated in a Danish soil profile (Drengsted) using a combination of soil sorption, transport and mineralisation methods as well as inoculation using Pseudomonas ADP. Sorption of atrazine decreased markedly with depth as indicated by K_d values of 5.2 l kg^-1 for the upper soil and 0.1 l kg^-1 for the subsoils. The transport of atrazine was evaluated using soil TLC plates and the resulting R_f values were 0.1 for the upper soil and 0.9 for the subsoil. Only a relatively small amount of atrazine leached through undisturbed soil columns taken from the upper 60 cm. Inoculating with Pseudomonas strain ADP (1᎒⁶ CFU g^-1 dry weight soil) revealed that the degradation of 0.01 ppm atrazine was fully completed (80% mineralisation) within 10 days in the subsoil, while it reached less than 15% in the upper soil. Over a period of 500 days, a total mineralisation of 37% of added atrazine in the upper soil was found (2 mg kg^-1 incubated at 20° C). However, in the subsurface soil where 0.02 mg kg^-1 of atrazine was incubated at 10°C, the degradation was slower, only reaching about 12%. Terbuthylazine mineralisation was found to be temperature-dependent and low (less than 5%) in the upper soil and very much lower in the subsoil. Desethylterbuthylazine was the most frequently found metabolite. Finally, Pseudomonas strain ADP inoculated into soils from different depths increased the mineralisation of terbuthylazine dramatically. Modelling using a "two-compartment model" indicated that desorption of terbuthylazine is the limiting step for its mineralisation.     

Use of principal component analysis to assess factors controlling net N mineralization in deciduous and coniferous forest soils

Net N mineralization was studied in three different forest sites (Belgium): a mixed deciduous forest with oak (Quercus robur L. and Quercus rubra L.) and birch (Betula pendula Roth) as dominant species, a deciduous stand of silver birch (Betula pendula) and a coniferous stand of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra ssp. Laricio). The organic (F + H) layer and mineral soil at different depths (0-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm) were sampled at three locations in the mixed deciduous forest (GE, GF1, GF2), at one location in the silver birch stand (SB) and one in the Corsican pine stand (CP). All samples were incubated over 10 weeks under controlled temperature and moisture conditions. The net N mineralization rates in the organic and upper mineral layer (0-10 cm) were found to be significantly different from the other layers and accounted for 66-95% of the total mineralization over the first 30 cm. Net N mineralization rates in the organic layer ranged from 4.2 to 27.3 mg N m^-2 day^-1. Net N mineralization and nitrification rates were positively correlated. For the mineral soil, net N mineralization rates decreased with depth and the upper 10 cm showed significantly higher rates, ranging from 8.9 to 33.5 mg N m^-2 day^-1. The rates of the 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm sublayers were similar, ranging from 1.2 to 7.4 mg N m^-2 day^-1. The net N mineralization rates for the total mineral layer (0-30 cm) ranged from 17.4 mg N m^-2 day^-1 (SB) to 36.1 mg N m^-2 day^-1 (CP). Both from PCA and multiple regression analysis, we could conclude that net N mineralization rates were closely related to the initial mineral N content (N_initial). Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between the net N mineralization rate, the total carbon (TC) and NH₄⁺-N content for the mineral layers and between net N mineralization rate, total nitrogen (TN), hemicellulose content and C/N for the organic layers.     

Denitrification, N2O and CO2 fluxes in rice-wheat cropping system as affected by crop residues, fertilizer N and legume green manure

Use of renewable N and C sources such as green manure (GM) and crop residues in rice-wheat cropping systems of South Asia may lead to higher crop productivity and C sequestration. However, information on measurements of gaseous N losses (N₂O+N₂) via denitrification and environmental problems such as N₂O and CO₂ production in rice-wheat cropping systems is not available. An acetylene inhibition-intact soil core technique was employed for direct measurement of denitrification losses, N₂O and CO₂ production, in an irrigated field planted to rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in an annual rotation. The soil was a coarse-textured Tolewal sandy loam soil (Typic Ustochrept) and the site a semi-arid subtropical Punjab region of India. Wheat residue (WR, C:N=94) was incorporated at 6 t ha^-1 and sesbania (Sesbania aculeata L.) was grown as GM crop for 60 days during the pre-rice fallow period. Fresh biomass of GM (C:N.=18) at 20 or 40 t ha^-1 was incorporated into the soil 2 days before transplanting rice. Results of this study reveal that (1) denitrification is a significant N loss process under wetland rice amounting to 33% of the prescribed dose of 120 kg N ha^-1 applied as fertilizer urea-N (FN); (2) integrated management of 6 t WR ha^-1 and 20 t GM ha^-1 supplying 88 kg N ha^-1 and 32 kg FN ha^-1 significantly reduced cumulative gaseous N losses to 51.6 kg N ha^-1 as compared with 58.2 kg N ha^-1 for 120 kg FN ha^-1 alone; (3) application of excessive N and C through applying 40 t GM ha^-1 (176 kg N ha^-1) resulted in the highest gaseous losses of 70 kg N ha^-1; (4) the gaseous N losses under wheat were 0.6% to 2% of the applied 120 kg FN ha^-1 and were eight- to tenfold lower (5-8 kg N ha^-1) than those preceding rice; (5) an interplay between the availability of NO₃^- and organic C largely controlled denitrification and N₂O flux during summer-grown flooded rice whereas temperature and soil aeration status were the primary regulators of the nitrification-denitrification processes and gaseous N losses during winter-grown upland wheat; (6) the irrigated rice-wheat system is a significant source of N₂O as it emits around 15 kg N₂O-N ha^-1 year^-1; (7) incorporation of WR in rice and rice residue (C:N=63) in wheat increased soil respiration, and increased CO₂ production in WR- and GM-amended soils under anaerobic wetland rice coincided with enhanced rates of denitrification; and (8) with adequate soil moisture, most of the decomposable C fraction of added residues was mineralized within one crop-growing season and application of FN and GM further accelerated this process.     

Isolation and partial characterization of endophytic diazotrophs associated with Japanese sugarcane cultivar

Endophytic bacteria were isolated from the juice of a 6 month-old sugarcane cv. NiF-8, which was collected from Miyako, Okinawa and planted in a field lysimeter in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. The most probable number of N₂-fixing endophytes was 4.5 × 10⁵ cells per gram of fresh weight sample and 21 isolates have a positive reaction for ARA in an N₂-free semi-solid medium with 10% crystallized sugarcane sugar and 0.5% sugarcane juice. Analyses of some of the biochemical properties of the N₂-fixing isolates indicated that 13 isolates were putative strains of Acetobacter diazotrophicus, 4 isolates showed similar characteristics to those of Herbaspirillum seropedicae, and 4 isolates consisted of Herbaspirillum rubribalbicans-like strains. This study confirmed the existence of N₂-fixing endophytic bacteria in the Japanese sugarcane cv. NiF-8.     

Competition between effective and less effective strains of Bradyrhizobium spp. for nodulation on Vigna radiata

Local and exotic cowpea bradyrhizobial strains were examined for their effectiveness and competitive ability on the cultivated Vigna radiata (mungbean) variety NM-51. The seven most efficient N₂-fixing strains were then evaluated for their competitiveness against two less effective strains in a pair-wise inoculation experiment. Nodule occupancy was determined using fluorescent antibodies. The most efficient strain, Vr-2, could not compete with less effective strains for nodule occupancy, so the biomass and N yield were low. Bradyrhizobial strain M-55 had good competitive ability, as it occupied almost 50% of nodules in comparison with less effective strains and improved the biomass and N yield of mungbean significantly. Competitiveness/compatibility is one of the vital parameters for the selection of inocula strains, therefore, M-55, K-92 and Vr-6 are recommended as good inocula of commercial quality because of their competitiveness along with their highly efficient N₂-fixation.     

Organic amendments to enhance herbicide biodegradation in contaminated soils

Pesticide contamination of soil and groundwater at agricultural chemical distribution sites is a widespread problem in the USA. Alternatives to land-farming or solid waste disposal include biostimulation and phytoremediation. This research investigated the ability of compost, corn stalks, corn fermentation byproduct, peat, manure, and sawdust at rates of 0.5% and 5% (w/w) to stimulate biodegradation of atrazine [6-chloro-N-ethyl-N'-(1-methyethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine], metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide], and trifluralin [2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzenamine] added as a mixture to soil. Initial concentrations were 175ᆾ mg atrazine kg^-1 soil, 182ᆭ mg metolachlor kg^-1 soil, and 165ᆫ mg trifluralin kg^-1 soil. After amendment addition, 30% of the atrazine, 33% of the metolachlor, and 44% of the trifluralin was degraded over 245 days, which included 63 days' aging prior to amendment additions. Atrazine degradation was enhanced by 0.5% manure, 5% peat, and 5% cornstalk amendments compared to nonamended soils. Metolachlor degradation was enhanced by all amendments at the 5% level, except for compost and peat. Amendments had no effect on trifluralin degradation. The 5% addition of compost, manure, and cornstalks resulted in significant increases in bacterial populations and dehydrogenase activity. A second experiment compared the persistence of atrazine, metolachlor, and trifluralin applied in a mixture to their persistence in soil individually. A combined average of 123 mg atrazine kg^-1 remained in soil treated with the three-herbicide mixture compared to 31 mg atrazine kg^-1 remaining in soil treated with atrazine only. Atrazine mineralization and atrazine-degrading microorganisms were suppressed by high concentrations of metolachlor, but not by trifluralin.     

Nitrogen mineralization potential of dairy manures and its relationship to composition

The objectives of this study were to determine the variability in mineralization of dairy manure N, to determine if N mineralization can be predicted by compositional factors or by near- or mid-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Dairy manures (n =107) were collected from farms in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. The composition of these manures ranged from 14 to 386 g dry matter kg^-1, 0.9 to 9.5 kg total N/m³, and 0.3 to 4.7 kg NH₄⁺-N/m³. Manure-amended soil was aerobically incubated at 25°C and concentrations of NH₄⁺-N and NO₃^--N were determined at day 2 and day 56. The manures were highly variable in their N mineralization characteristics, ranging from a net mineralization of 54.9% to a net immobilization of 29.2% of the organic N. When compositional parameters were individually regressed against percentage mineralized organic N, the highest correlation coefficient (r) was 0.164. A stepwise regression of all 11 variables yielded a maximal r of 0.486. These results suggest that the availability of dairy manure organic N is highly variable and that the availability cannot be predicted from simple compositional parameters. No relationship was found between near-infrared spectral characteristics and N mineralization suggesting that no simple relationship exists between N mineralization and compositional characteristics. There appears to be some potential for the use of mid-infrared for determining the mineralization potential of manures.     

Changes in sorption/bioavailability of imidacloprid metabolites in soil with incubation time

Changes in sorption/bioavailability of two metabolites, imidacloprid-urea {1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)methyl]-2-imidazolidinone} and imidacloprid-guanidine {1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)methyl]-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-amine} of the insecticide imidacloprid {1-[(6-chloro-3-pyridinyl)-methyl]-N-nitro-2-imidazolidinimine} with aging in different soils were determined. Soil moisture was adjusted to -33 kPa and ¹⁴C- and analytical-grade imidacloprid-urea and imidacloprid-guanidine were added to the soil at a rate of 1.0 mg kg^-1. Spiked soils were incubated at 25°C for 8 weeks. Replicate soil samples were periodically extracted successively with 0.01 N CaCl₂, acetonitrile, and 1 N HCl. Imidacloprid-urea sorption, as indicated by sorption coefficient values, was highest in the soil with highest organic C content, and increased by an average factor of 2.6 in three soils during the 8-week incubation period. Imidacloprid-guanidine sorption increased by a factor of 2.3 in the same soils. The increase in sorption was the result of a decrease in the metabolite extractable with CaCl₂ (solution phase); the amount of metabolite extractable with acetonitrile and HCl (sorbed phase) did not significantly change with incubation time. It appears the increase in sorption was because the rate of degradation in solution and on labile sites was faster than the rate of desorption from the soil particles. It may have also been due to metabolite diffusion to less accessible or stronger binding sites with time. Regardless of the mechanism, these results are further evidence that increases in sorption during pesticide aging should be taken into account during characterization of the sorption process for mathematical models of pesticide degradation and transport.     

Correlations between pesticide transformation rate and microbial respiration activity in soil of different ecosystems

Cecil sandy loam soils (ultisol) from forest (coniferous and deciduous), pasture, and arable ecosystems were sampled (0-10 cm) in the vicinity of Athens, Georgia, USA. Soil from each site was subdivided into three portions, consisting of untreated soil (control) as well as live and sterile samples treated with the fungicide metalaxyl and the herbicide propachlor at 10 mg kg^-1 soil. Pesticide transformation rate, basal respiration (basal) and substrate-induced respiration (SIR) rates, and microbial metabolic quotient (qCO₂) were measured for the initial application of metalaxyl [methyl-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-N-(metoxyacetyl)-DL-alaninate] or propachlor (2-chloro-N-isopropyl-acetanilide) at 22°C and 60% water holding capacity. Positive correlations were found for the following: metalaxyl transformation rate constant (K_met) and basal (r=0.73); K_met and SIR (r=0.83); propachlor transformation rate constant (K_pr) and basal (r=0.89); and K_pr and SIR (r=0.91). Regression analysis of pesticide transformation rate and soil respiration activity, coupled with specific soil properties (pH, C_org, and clay content), revealed a positive correlation between K and SIR for C_org (r=0.88 and 0.98, for metalaxyl and propachlor, respectively). qCO₂s were not significantly different (P=0.05) in propachlor-amended and pesticide-free soils. Metalaxyl amendment resulted in a change in the ecophysiological status of the soil microbial community as expressed by qCO₂. The qCO₂ values in metalaxyl-amended soils were significantly greater (P=0.05) in pine forest (by 25%) and arable and pasture (by 20%) soils compared to unamended soils. Differences in qCO₂ values may represent the magnitude of pesticide-induced disturbance. The duration of this disturbance was greater in the pine forest soil (48 days) compared to arable and pasture soils (21 and 15 days, respectively).