Decomposition and distribution of residual activity of some 13C-microbial polysaccharides and cells,glucose, cellulose and wheat straw in soil

Studies were made to determine the rate of decomposition of some ¹⁴C-labeled microbial polysaccharides, microbial cells, glucose, cellulose and wheat straw in soil, the distribution of the residual ¹⁴C in various humic fractions and the influence of the microbial products on the decomposition of plant residues in soil. During 16 weeks from 32 to 86 per cent of the C of added bacterial polysaccharides had evolved as ¹⁴CO₂. Chromobacterium violaceum polysaccharide was most resistant and Leuconostoc dextranicus polysaccharide least resistant. In general the polysaccharides, microbial cells, and glucose exerted little effect on the decomposition of the plant products. Upon incubation the ¹⁴C-activity was quickly distributed in the humic. fulvic and extracted soil fractions. The pattern of distribution depended upon the amendment and the degree of decomposition. The distribution was most uniform in the highly decomposed amendments. After 16 weeks the bulk of the residual activity from Azotobacter indicus polysaccharide remained in the NaOH extracted soil. From C. violaceum polysaccharide both the extracted soil and the humic acid fraction contained high activity. About 50–80 per cent of the residual activity from the ¹⁴C-glucose, cellulose and wheat straw amended soils could be removed by hydrolysis with 6 n HCl. The greater part of this activity in the humic acid fraction was associated with the amino acids and that from the fulvic acids and residual soils after NaOH extraction with the carbohydrates. About 8 16 per cent of the activity of the humic acid fraction was present in substances (probably aromatic) extracted by ether after reductive or oxidative degradation.     

Characterization of lake sediment humic acids from the Ćelije Lake system near Kruševac (Central Serbia) by13C and 1H solution NMR and 13C cpmas NMR

Humic acids were extracted from the bottom sediment of the three lakes (Zlatari, Vasici and Vodozahvat) that together comprise Lake ?elije a regional drinking water reservoir. The humic acids were examined by high resolution ¹³C and ¹H solution NMR and ¹³C CPMAS. The aromaticity expressed as the number of benzene rings per 1000 g of humic acid is 1.8 for Zlatari, 2.3 for Vasici and 1.9 for Vodozahvat. Oxygen-substituted aromatic carbon structures in humic acids from the first two lakes (Zlatari and Vasici) are similar and resemble p-coumaryl units in lignin while those in Lake Vodozahvat more closely resemble coniferyl or sinapyl units in lignin. The aromatic rings of all three humic acids are highly substituted. Humic acids from the first two lakes have very similar carbohydrate carbon contents (19.9 and 19.5% respectively) compared to 23.3% for Vodozahvat humic acid. Zlatari and Vodozahvat humic acids have a higher alkyl chain content which indicates a greater potential for forming hydrophobic cavities. The carboxyl and aromatic OH group content of each humic acid influences their capacity for forming complexes with metal ions.     

The origin of oxygen in soil humic substances

The ¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios of a number of soil humic and fulvic acids were measured and compared with those of lignin and cellulose samples originating from the same area. The average enrichments above ground water were: cellulose 32%₀ humic and fulvic acid 29%₀ and lignin 14%₀, suggesting that the oxygen in humic and fulvic acid originates pricipally from cellulose or other plant carbohydrates and not lignin as has been suggested.     

中低分子量腐殖酸提高冬小麦磷吸收和产量的机理

  【目的】  研究不同分子量腐殖酸与磷肥复合制备的腐殖酸磷肥对作物和土壤磷有效性的影响,为腐殖酸磷肥研发和磷素高效利用提供理论依据。  【方法】  利用超滤分级方法,将风化煤腐殖酸分子量分为 > 100 kDa、10～100 kDa和 < 10 kDa 3个部分,获得高 (HA_H)、中 (HA_M)、低 (HA_L) 不同分子量的腐殖酸,采用磷酸与KOH反应法制备普通磷肥 (P)、未分级腐殖酸磷肥 (PHA)、高分子量腐殖酸磷肥 (PHA_H)、中分子量腐殖酸磷肥 (PHA_M) 和低分子量腐殖酸磷肥 (PHA_L) 5种磷肥。采用深100 cm、内径25 cm的土柱进行冬小麦栽培试验,按等磷量原则,设置P、PHA、PHA_H、PHA_M、PHA_L 5个施磷处理,同时设置与4个施磷处理对应的等量腐殖酸处理 (HA、HA_H、HA_M、HA_L),以不施磷肥为对照CK。测定小麦产量及产量构成因素、植株磷含量及不同层次土壤有效磷含量。  【结果】  1) 与CK相比,腐殖酸处理 (HA、HA_H、HA_M、HA_L) 小麦增产不明显。与普通磷肥相比,PHA、PHA_M和PHA_L处理产量显著提高了14.73%、18.84%、21.37% (P < 0.05),3 个处理间产量差异不显著,PHA_H增产不明显。PHA_L处理千粒重显著高于普通磷肥处理,其余3个腐殖酸磷肥处理增幅未达显著水平。2) PHA、PHA_M和PHA_L处理籽粒吸磷量较普通磷肥处理分别显著提高14.97%、19.45%、22.68%,而PHA_H增幅未达显著水平;腐殖酸磷肥处理间秸秆吸磷量没有显著差异。3) 与普通磷肥相比,PHA、PHA_H、PHA_M、PHA_L磷肥偏生产力和农学效率分别提高14.71%、6.01%、18.82%、21.35%和14.95%、1.66%、20.18%、23.03%,磷肥表观利用率分别提高2.93、0.51、4.52、5.41个百分点,也以中、低分子量腐殖酸磷肥效果最为明显,腐殖酸中的氧烷基碳、羧基/酰胺基碳、烷基碳结构与小麦籽粒产量和磷肥利用率具有正相关性,与芳香碳、芳香C―O负相关。4) 4个腐殖酸磷肥处理间及其与普通磷肥处理间 0—20、20—40、40—60 cm 土层土壤有效磷含量差异不显著。  【结论】  田间土柱栽培条件下,单施腐殖酸对小麦没有表现出明显的增产效果。腐殖酸中的氧烷基碳、羧基/酰胺基碳、烷基碳结构与小麦磷素吸收具有正相关性,低分子量腐殖酸具有较多的烷基碳、氧烷基碳、羧基/酰胺基碳结构,因而低分子量腐殖酸提高磷肥中磷素利用率的作用好于中分子量腐殖酸,而高分子量腐殖酸的效果不显著。     

Variations in soil microbial biomass and crop roots due to differing resource quality inputs in a tropical dryland agroecosystem

The influence of exogenous organic inputs on soil microbial biomass dynamics and crop root biomass was studied through two annual cycles in rice-barley rotation in a tropical dryland agroecosystem. The treatments involved addition of equivalent amount of N (80 kg N ha⁻¹) through chemical fertilizer and three organic inputs at the beginning of each annual cycle: Sesbania shoot (high-quality resource, C:N 16, lignin:N 3.2, polyphenol+lignin:N 4.2), wheat straw (low-quality resource, C:N 82, lignin:N 34.8, polyphenol+lignin:N 36.8) and Sesbania+wheat straw (high-and low-quality resources combined), besides control. The decomposition rates of various inputs and crop roots were determined in field conditions by mass loss method. Sesbania (decay constant, k=0.028) decomposed much faster than wheat straw (k=0.0025); decomposition rate of Sesbania+wheat straw was twice as fast compared to wheat straw. On average, soil microbial biomass levels were: rice period, Sesbania?Sesbania+wheat straw>wheat straw?fertilizer; barley period, Sesbania+wheat straw>Sesbania?wheat straw?fertilizer; summer fallow, Sesbania+wheat straw>Sesbania>wheat straw?fertilizer. Soil microbial biomass increased through rice and barley crop periods to summer fallow; however, in Sesbania shoot application a strong peak was obtained during rice crop period. In both crops soil microbial biomass C and N decreased distinctly from seedling to grain-forming stages, and then increased to the maximum at crop maturity. Crop roots, however, showed reverse trend through the cropping period, suggesting strong competition between microbial biomass and crop roots for available nutrients. It is concluded that both resource quality and crop roots had distinct effect on soil microbial biomass and combined application of Sesbania shoot and wheat straw was most effective in sustained build up of microbial biomass through the annual cycle.     

Chemical composition of the organic matter in forest soils: The humus layer

Decomposition and humification were studied within three types of forest humus (mull, moder, and mor) by means of CPMAS ¹³C NMR spectroscopy combined with degradative methods. The NMR data show that O-alkyl carbon decreases in all soils, and alkyl as well as carboxyl carbon increase as depth and decomposition increase; the percentage of aromatic carbon remains constant at about 25%. With increasing depth the amount of carbon that can be identified as belonging to specific compound classes by wet chemical methods decreases from 60% to 40%. Microbial polysaccharides and the proportion of non polysaccharide O-alkyl carbon increase with depth. A selective preservation of recalcitrant, condensed lignin structural units is also observed. In order to relate the spectroscopic and chemical data from investigations of whole soils with studies of humification, samples were fractionated into fulvic acid, humic acid, and humin fractions. The fulvic acid fraction contains large concentrations of carbohydrates irrespective of the soil horizon. The humic acid fraction contains less polysaccharides, but high amounts of alkyl carbon and aromatic structures. The percentage of aromatic carbon existing in the humic acid fraction increases with depth, probably reflecting the amount and degree of oxidative decomposition of lignin. A loss of methoxyl and phenolic groups is evident in the ¹³C NMR spectra of the humic acid fraction. The humin fraction resembles relatively unchanged plant-derived materials as evident from the lignin parameters and carbohydrate contents. All the observed data seem to indicate that humic acids originate form oxidative degradation of humin or plant litter.     

Incorporation studies of NH+4 during incubation of organic residues by l5N-CPMAS-NMR-spectroscopy

This study focuses on the processes occurring during incorporation of inorganic nitrogen into humic substances. Therefore rye grass, wheat straw, beech saw dust, sulphonated lignin and organosolve lignin were incubated together with highly ¹⁵N-enriched ammonium sulphate in the laboratory for 600 days. Samples from the incubates were periodically analysed for weight loss, and carbon and nitrogen contents. The samples were also analysed by solid-state ¹³C- and ¹⁵N-CPMAS-NMR-spectroscopy to follow the turnover of the materials during incubation. Most of the detectable N-signals was assigned to amide - peptide structures. The remaining intensities could be ascribed to free and alkylated amino groups, and those on the low field side of the broad amide-peptide signal to indole, pyrrole and nucleotide derivatives. Abiotic reactions of ammonia with suitable precursors and the formation of pyridine, pyrazine or phenyloxazone derivatives were not observed. Signals from ammonia and nitrate occurred only at the end of the incubation.     

Transformation of lignin in surface and buried soils of mountainous landscapes

The content and composition of the lignin phenols in plants and soils of vertical natural zones were studied in the Northern Caucasus region and Northwestern Tien Shan. Three types of lignin transformation were revealed: steppe, forest, and meadow ones. It was shown that the degree of oxidation of the biopolymer during the transformation of organic matter increased when going from the living plant tissues to humic acids in surface and buried soils. The portion of lignin fragments remained unchanged during the biopolymer transformation in the following series: plant tissues-falloff-litter-soil-humic acids-buried humic acids. It was also shown that the biochemical composition of the plants had a decisive effect on the structure of the humic acids in the soils. The quantitative analysis of the lignin phenols and the ¹³C NMR spectroscopy proved that the lignin in higher plants was involved in the formation of specific compounds of soil humus, including aliphatic and aromatic molecular fragments. The first analysis of the lignin content and composition in buried soils of different ages was performed, and an increase in the degree of oxidation of the lignin structures was revealed in the soil chronoseries. It was proposed to use the proportions of lignin phenols in surface and buried soils as diagnostic criteria of the vegetation types in different epochs.     

紫色水稻土胡敏酸的形成——稻草腐解试验

土壤腐植酸类物质的形成是土壤固碳的重要过程,但对腐植酸类物质形成过程的了解仍不甚清楚,为了丰富土壤腐植酸类物质形成理论,采用富立叶变换红外光谱和固态交叉极化-魔角旋转^13C-核磁共振光谱技术分析了紫色水稻土稻草腐解过程中胡敏酸的波谱学特征。结果表明,稻草腐解的前期,胡敏酸的红外光谱所有吸收峰（3364、2933、1653、1599、1508、1461、1421、1331、1225、1126、1033cm^-1）强度皆有明显减弱,核磁共振光谱的烷基、多羟基和芳基的共振峰明显减弱且甲氧基的共振峰显著增强,即表明提取的胡敏酸为类胡敏酸的木质素;随着腐解的进行,胡敏酸的红外光谱的吸收峰强度皆显著增强,核磁共振光谱的烷基、芳基和羰基的共振峰增强,即表明此时的胡敏酸已是以木质素残体为核心并结合烷基、酰胺以及糖类物质反应形成的高分子聚合体;稻草腐解的后期,胡敏酸的红外光谱的2933cm^-1处的吸收峰强度减弱,1651、1599、1508、1461、1422和1224cm^-1处的吸收峰小幅增强,核磁共振光谱的烷基共振峰减弱,甲氧基共振峰增强,表明此时的胡敏酸发生脱烷基（主要是甲基）过程。因此,红外光谱吸收峰强度与核磁共振光谱共振峰强度的规律性变化反映了稻草腐解过程紫色水稻土胡敏酸的形成过程具有阶段性,紫色水稻±胡敏酸的形成过程符合木质素学说。     

作物秸秆碳在土壤中分解和转化规律的研究

采用14C标记秸秆,在大田和实验室的研究结果表明,秸秆的分解速率主要取决于C/N比。施入土壤后,土壤微生物迅速增加,尤其是细菌。秸秆降解首先形成非结构物质,其中大部分转化为富里酸,进而转化为胡敏酸。分解产物对土壤腐殖质的更新,从腐殖质表面官能团或分子断片开始,逐步进行。非结构物质可与腐殖酸的单个分子产生交联作用,在一定条件下,交联的复合分子可进入腐殖质分子核心的成分中。腐殖酸单个组分在土壤中的转化和重新分配,仅仅与腐殖质表面官能团的反交换过程密切相关。粘土矿物选择性吸附胡敏酸,而且优先吸附胡敏酸中低分子成分。     

Effect of lignite humic acid treatment on the rate of decomposition of wheat straw

Comparisons were made between the rates of microbial respiration during the incubation of milled wheat straw in the presence or absence of a dispersal of lignite humic acids. Lignite treatment significantly reduced both the rate of O₂ consumption and CO₂ evolution from the straw substrate over a 4-week period. In view of this observed inhibitory effect, additions of exogenous humic acids from lignite during composting might have a practical application as a means of increasing the microbial stability of horticultural composts derived from plant waste materials.     

草浆造纸木质素对土壤性质和小白菜生长的影响

草浆造纸废液是影响秸秆造纸发展的重要因素,利用小白菜盆栽试验研究了施用麦秸造纸废液木质素和麦秸对土壤性质及小白菜生长的影响,以期为造纸废弃物的资源化利用提供依据。结果表明,两茬小白菜收获后,铵木素配施N肥使土壤pH值降低;小白菜两茬连作后铵木质素配施的土壤活性有机碳含量及多酚氧化酶活性分别为2.73g·kg-1和1.77mg·g-1·2h-1,显著高于其他处理;除对照和单施氮肥外,两茬盆栽收获后土壤多酚氧化酶活性均高于第一茬试验。两茬小白菜收获后秸秆配施和碱木质素配施氮肥土壤过氧化物酶活性均高于其他处理。铵木质素配施及秸秆配施的小白菜干重相近,显著高于碱木质素配施。研究表明,与秸秆还田相比,施用铵木质素没有对土壤性状和小白菜生长产生不利影响,故铵法草浆木质素可以作为一种潜在的土壤有机改良剂应用。     

Effect of organic amendment on amount and chemical characteristics of humic acids in upland field soils

To assess the effect of continuous organic material (OM) application on soil humic acids, the amount and chemical characteristics of humic acids in various types of soils (n = 10) were compared between plots treated with farmyard manure (FYM) or rice straw compost (RSC) plus chemical fertilizer (CF) and plots treated with CF alone. The degree of humification (degree of darkening), molecular size distribution and ¹³C cross polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of humic acids from CF‐treated soils showed wide variation among the soils. Humic acid content was generally larger in OM + CF soils than in corresponding CF soils, and the stable C isotopic ratio suggested partial replacement of indigenous humic acids with OM‐derived ones even where no apparent increase in humic acid content was observed. The rate of OM application and the indigenous humic acid content were related positively and negatively, respectively, to the apparent accumulation rate of humic acids among soils. The degree of humification of humic acids was generally smaller in OM + CF soils than in CF soils. Humic acids extracted from FYM and RSC exhibited chemical characteristics typical of humic acids having a smaller degree of humification, which suggested the contribution of OM‐derived humic acids to the differences between OM + CF and CF soil humic acids, such as larger average molecular sizes and smaller and larger proportions of aromatic C and O‐alkyl C, respectively, relative to total C in the OM + CF soil humic acids. Little change was observed in the chemical characteristics of humic acids when the degree of humification of indigenous humic acids was small. The effect of OM application on the chemical characteristics of humic acids was most conspicuous in soils containing humic acids having an intermediate degree of humification, possibly resulting from the combination of accelerated degradation of indigenous humic acids and the accumulation of OM‐derived humic acids.     

Structural and thermal characterization of wheat straw pretreated with aqueous ammonia soaking

Production of renewable fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic feedstocks requires an efficient pretreatment technology to allow ready access of polysaccharides for cellulolytic enzymes during saccharification. The effect of pretreatment on wheat straw through a low-temperature and low-pressure soaking aqueous ammonia (SAA) process was investigated in this study using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (Py-GC/MS), solid and liquid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and thermogravimetry/differential thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) to demonstrate the changes in lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose structure. After treatment of 60 mesh wheat straw particles for 60 h with 28-30% ammonium hydroxide (1:10 solid/liquid) at 50 °C, sugar recovery increased from 14% (untreated) to 67% (SAA treated). The FTIR study revealed a substantial decrease in absorbance of lignin peaks. Solid and liquid state NMR showed minimal lignin structural changes with significant compositional changes. Activation energy of control and pretreated wheat straw was calculated according to the Friedman and ASTM methods and found to be decreased for SAA-treated wheat straw, from 259 to 223 kJ/mol. The SAA treatment was shown to remove significant amounts of lignin without strongly affecting lignin functional groups or structure.     

Temporal changes in humic acids in cultivated soils with continuous manure application

Abstract

Although the application of manure to upland fields is believed to induce changes in the quality of humic substances in soil as well as the quantity, the direction and extent of these changes have not been elucidated. To understand temporal variations in humic acids, periodically collected soil samples from two fields, a Typic Hapludult (Togo) and a Pachic Melanudand (Kuriyagawa), with cattle manure and chemical fertilizer (CF) were examined. The content and degree of humification (darkening) of the humic acids were distinctly greater in Kuriyagawa than in Togo soil. Corresponding to the difference in the degree of humification, molecular size distribution, elemental composition, infrared (IR) spectra, and ¹³C cross polarization/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (CPMAS NMR) spectra of humic acids differed between the two soils. Manure application at 40 Mg ha^?1 year^?1 for 16 years (Togo) and at 80 or 160 Mg ha^?1 year^?1 for 19 years (Kuriyagawa) resulted in greater humic acid content compared with plots with CF only because of its increase in the manured plots and/or decrease in the CF plots. Manure application at an extremely high rate (160 Mg ha^?1 year^?1) resulted in higher H content and greater signal intensities of alkyl C, O-alkyl C and amide C=O in the ¹³C CPMAS NMR and/or IR spectra. Although humic acids with larger molecule sizes increased in all the manured plots, differences between the humic acids from the plots with and without manure applied at practical levels in the elemental and spectroscopic analyses were small or scarce. These results were considered to be because of the similarity between the indigenous soil humic acids and the manure-derived ones in Togo soil (a low degree of humification) and because of the abundance of highly-humified humic acids in Kuriyagawa soil.     

有机物料对白土土壤胡敏酸结构特征的影响

【目的】研究有机物料施入对白土土壤的腐殖质含量组成和胡敏酸(HA)结构特征的影响,为明确不同腐殖质组分对土壤肥力的影响提供理论依据。【方法】供试土壤为江苏省溧阳市南渡镇"白土改良大田示范试验核心区"的南方中低产水稻土(白土)。试验设秸秆还田(ST)、施有机肥(OM)和对照(CK,不施有机物)3个处理,培肥3年。同时采集试验田周围相邻的江苏省耕地质量监测点(2007~2013年)的每年施化肥(LAF)和长期不施肥(NF)的两种处理土壤进行比对研究。分别测定土壤的基本理化性质及其腐殖质含量的组成,并提取土壤胡敏酸(HA)固体样品利用红外光谱和元素分析来进行结构表征。【结果】秸秆还田和施有机肥处理的有机碳、全氮含量明显高于对照;与对照相比,施有机物料土壤HA的E4/E6比值增加,且秸秆还田施有机肥对照。红外光谱显示,试验区域和耕地监测点的不同处理土壤HA均在1650 cm-1处(酰胺I带)和1550 cm-1处(1500~1580 cm-1酰胺II带伸缩振动)有特征吸收。施有机肥和秸秆还田处理土壤HA的2920/1720、2920/1650比值显著大于对照。在元素组成上,OM、ST处理的土壤腐殖质(HA)中C、H、N的含量比均高于CK,相对长期施化肥(LAF)和不施肥(NF)的土壤有明显提高,而氧元素的含量呈降低的趋势;OM和ST处理土壤HA的[H]/[C]和[O]/[C]原子数比均低于CK;与LAF和NF处理相比,试验区域各处理土壤腐殖质的[H]/[C]和[O]/[C]原子数比均有明显降低。【结论】有机物料施入土壤后可增加土壤有机碳含量,改善土壤理化性质,提高作物产量和品质,且施入土壤的有机物料可转化为新的腐殖质,降低土壤的腐殖化程度。土壤腐殖质(HA)的红外光谱分析说明,白土土壤HA具有明显的酰胺类化合物特征。有机物料施入后使得土壤脂族性增强,羧基量减少,芳香度降低;秸秆还田和施有机肥处理与对照相比,土壤HA的[H]/[C]和[O]/[C]比均有下降的趋势,且HA的氮素含量明显增加,这显示有机物料施入后白土土壤腐殖质发生"脱水"过程,同时也反映了白土土壤腐殖质形成的特征。     

Chemical studies on soil humic acids

Seventeen samples of soil humic acids, two fractions of soil fulvic acid sample, and several related compounds such as lignin, tannin, flavonoid and artificial humic substances were decomposed in conc. KOH solution at 180°C. Succinic acid, glutaric acid, phloroglucin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, protocatechuic acid, 3,4-dihydroxy-5-methoxybenzoic acid, and gallic acid were detected in the degradation products of humic acids. The amounts of these degradation products were discussed in relation to the degree of humification or the sources of the humic acid samples. Succinic acid also resulted from glucose, polymaleic acid, and the humic acid and humin prepared from glucose, but glutaric acid resulted only from glucose humic acid and glucose humin but not from glucose and polymaleic acid. Succinic acid and glutaric acid were supposed to result from the same structural portions in humic acids because of the very significant positive linear correlation between their amounts. p-Hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, protocatechuic, and 3,4-dihydroxy-S-methoxybenzoic acids were presumed to result mainly from lignin structure in humic acids. Soil humic acids yielded small amounts of gallic acid although the yields by hydrolysable tannins were in large amounts. The yields of above-mentioned degradation products from humic acids decreased with increasing degree of humification. Phloroglucin resulting from ftavonoids including condensed tannins were also found in the degradation products of humic substances. Its yield showed no linear correlation with RF value of humic acid, and is presumed to be rather related to the vegetation at the sites of soil sampling.     

Comparative studies of pyrolysis-mass spectra of melanins,model phenolic polymers,and humic acids

Curie-point pyrolysis in direct combination with a fast-scanning, quadrupole mass-spectrometer was used for the characterization of humic acids from soils, peats, and composted straw, fungal humic acid-type polymers (melanins), model phenolic polymers and lignins. All the humic acids, most of the fungal melanins and the model polymer with linked peptone yielded complex but highly similar spectra. Prominent homologous ion series were: m/e 34, 48 and 62 (“sulfides”); m/e 67, 81 and 95 (“pyrroles”); m/e 78, 92 and 106 (“benzenes”); m/e 94, 108 and 122 (“phenols”); and m/e 117, 131 and 145 (“indoles”). “Humic acid” fractions from fresh straw and straw composted for various periods of time yielded relatively strong but gradually diminishing lignin series peaks at m/e 94, 108, 120 and 122 (phenols); m/e 124, 138, 150 and 164 (methoxyphenols); and at m/e 154 and 168 (dimethoxyphenols). Weak signals for the methoxy and dimethoxyphenol series were also present in the soil humic acid spectra. In addition to the series peaks for the other fungal melanins, the S. chartarum spectrum showed a pronounced ion series at m/e 68, 82, 86 and 96 which is indicative of polysaccharides and at m/e 136, 150 and 164 which suggests the presence of alkylphenols.     

Effect of zinc application methods on apparent utilization efficiency of zinc and potassium fertilizers under rice-wheat rotation

Apparent utilization of zinc (Zn) and potassium (K) fertilizers was examined in rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using combinations of no K; soil applied K levels and no Zn; soil and foliar applied Zn. Application of 33.2 kg K ha^?1 in rice and 24.9 kg K ha^?1 in wheat along with foliar spray of 2 kg Zn ha^?1 at 30 and 60 days gave the highest mean grain yields. Foliar application of zinc increased Zn concentration in flag leaves, grain, and straw of rice and wheat and K concentration in flag leaves of rice and straw of wheat significantly. Potassium application increased Zn concentration in rice grain and straw and K concentration in wheat straw significantly. Zinc and K increased the uptake of each other in grain; straw and total uptake by both crops significantly. Zinc fertilizer enhanced the utilization of soil K. Potassium fertilizer enhanced the utilization of applied Zn.     

Contribution of Biofertilizers and Fertilizer Nitrogen to Nutrient Uptake and Yield of Egyptian Winter Wheat

ABSTRACT

Nutrient uptake and grain and straw yield of Egyptian winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Merr.) were evaluated for two site-years after the seed inoculation with two biofertilizer products, Phosphorien, containing the phosphorus (P)-solubilizing bacteria Bacillus megatherium, and Nitrobien, containing a combination of nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria Azotobacter chroococcum and Azospirillum liposerum. Ammonium nitrate and polymer-coated urea fertilizers were applied to plots alone and together with the biofertilizers at rates of either 83 kg N ha^?1 or 186 kg N ha^?1 for comparison. The highest grain yield (5.76–6.74 Mg ha^?1) and straw yield (11.49–13.32 Mg ha^?1) occurred at the highest fertilizer rates with N fertilizer. There was a slight additional increase in grain and straw yields when a biofertilizer was applied along with N fertilizer. A slightly higher grain and straw yield was measured with the polymer-coated urea treatment than with the ammonium nitrate treatment. The biofertilizer materials were not as effective as N fertilizers in producing grain (4.02–4.09 Mg ha^?1) or straw (7.71–8.11 Mg ha^?1) for either year, although the Nitrobien + Phosphorien combination increased these parameters over the N-fertilizer control. The effect of the Nitrobien biofertilizer in increasing grain yields was equivalent to a urea application rate of about 13 kg N ha^?1. Biofertilizer inoculations increased iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) concentrations in wheat tissue (at boot stage), but these higher levels did not influence grain or straw yield.