“In Situ” Amendments and Revegetation Reduce Trace Element Leaching in a Contaminated Soil

Various amendments and/or a plant cover (Agrostis stolonifera L.) were assessed for their potential to reduce trace element leaching in a contaminated soil under semi-arid conditions. The experiment was carried out in field containers and lasted 30 months. Five treatments with amendments (leonardite (LEO), litter (LIT), municipal waste compost (MWC), biosolid compost (BC) and sugar beet lime (SL)) and a plant cover and two controls (control without amendment but with plant (CTRP) and control without amendment and without plant (CTR)) were established. Drainage volumes were measured after each precipitation event and aliquots were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and trace element concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn). Soil pH and trace element extractability (0.01 M CaCl₂) at three different depths (0–10, 10–20 and 20–30 cm) were measured at the end of the experiment. Incorporation of amendments reduced leaching of Cd, Cu and Zn between 40–70% in comparison to untreated soil. The most effective amendments were SL, BC and MWC. At the end of the experiment, extractable concentrations of Cd, Cu and Zn were generally lower in all amended soils and CTRP compared to CTR. Soil pH decreased and extractability of metals increased in all treatments in relation to depth. Results showed that use of these amendments combined with healthy and sustainable plant cover might be a reliable option for “in situ” stabilization of trace elements in moderately contaminated soils.     

协助自然修复微量元素污染酸性土壤研究：8年田间试验

There are many remediation techniques for organic contaminated soils,but relatively few of them are applicable to trace elementcontaminated soils.A field experiment was carried out to investigate assisted natural remediation（ANR） of an acid soil contaminated by As,Cd,Cu,Zn and Pb using one inorganic amendment,sugar beet lime（SL）,and two organic amendments,biosolid compost（BC）and leonardeite（LE）.The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design with four treatments in three replicates:1) a non-amended control（NA）;2) SL amended at 30 Mg ha^-1 year^-1;3) BC amended at 30 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 and 4) LE amended at 20 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 plus SL amended at 10 Mg ha^-1 year^-1（LESL）.The amended plots received two doses of each amendment（DO2）:one in October 2002 and another in October 2003.The plots were then divided in half into two subpolts and one subplot received another two doses of the same amendments（DO4） in October 2005 and October 2006.In 2011,the pH values of the amended soils were greater than that of the NA soil,with the SL-amended soil showing the highest pH.Total organic carbon（TOC） was also greater in the amended soil,and greater with DO4 than with DO2.Amendments reduced the concentrations of 0.01 mol L^-1 CaCl₂-extractable Cd,Cu and Zn,especially in the SL-amended soil.Plant cover of colonizing vegetation was enhanced by amendments,but was independent of amendment doses.Changes in soil properties from 2003 to 2011 showed that the first amendment application of DO2 caused a high differentiation between all the amendment treatments and the NA treatment.After the second application of DO2,soil pH and TOC continued increasing slowly.Further two applications of amendments（DO4） caused differences only in the organic treatments.Plant cover increased over time in all the treatments including NA.It could be concluded that the slow and steady natural remediation of this soil could be enhanced by amendment application（ANR）.     

Changes in enzyme activities and microbial biomass after “in situ” remediation of a heavy metal-contaminated soil

Microbial properties such as microbial biomass carbon (MBC), arylsulfatase, β-glucosidase and dehydrogenase activities, and microbial heterotrophic potential, together with several chemical properties such as pH, CaCl₂ soluble heavy metal concentrations, total organic carbon and hydrosoluble carbon were measured to evaluate changes in soil quality, after “in situ” remediation of a heavy metal-contaminated soil from the Aznalcóllar mine accident (Southern Spain, 1998). The experiment was carried out using containers, filled with soil from the affected area. Four organic amendments (a municipal waste compost, a biosolid compost, a leonardite and a litter) and an inorganic amendment (sugarbeet lime) were mixed with the top soil at the rate of 100 Mg ha⁻¹. Unamended soil was used as control. Agrostis stolonifera L. was sown in the containers. The soil was sampled twice: one month and six months after amendment application. In general, these amendments improved the soil chemical properties: soil pH, total organic carbon and hydrosoluble carbon increased in the amended soils, while soluble heavy metal concentrations diminished. At the same time, higher MBC, enzyme activities and maximum rate of glucose mineralization values were found in the organically amended soils. Plant cover was also important in restoring the soil chemical and microbial properties in all the soils, but mainly in those that were not amended organically. As a rule, remediation measures improved soil quality in the contaminated soils.     

生物质改良剂对川西北地区高寒草地沙化土壤有机碳特征的影响

川西北高寒草原特殊的地理环境、气候条件以及过度人为放牧导致草地沙化问题突出。为了探讨不同生物质改良剂对高寒草地沙化土壤有机碳特征的影响,采用随机区组试验设计方法,设置3种生物质改良剂[秸秆类(JG)、菌渣类(JZ)、生物炭类(SWT)], 2个施用水平(6 t·hm?2和18 t·hm?2),以空白处理(CK)为对照,研究高寒草地沙化土壤总有机碳、活性有机碳和呼吸特征的变化。结果表明:1)施用生物质改良剂显著提高了土壤有机碳(TOC)、微生物量碳(MBC)和易氧化有机碳(EOC)含量,且提高效果随改良剂施用量的增加而增强。与CK相比,JG、JZ、SWT处理0～10 cm TOC含量分别平均提高60.66%、39.22%、34.99%,且JG处理显著高于JZ和SWT处理; MBC含量在0～10 cm则表现为JZJGSWTCK,且处理间差异达显著水平; EOC含量表现为JG处理最高,在0～10 cm、10～20 cm土层处分别比对照提高108.82%、79.26%。2)不同生物质改良剂处理中, EOC/TOC表现为JGJZSWTCK,MBC/TOC表现为JZJGSWTCK,且不同处理间差异显著。3)施用不同改良剂均显著提高了土壤呼吸速率,且随改良剂施用量的增加,土壤呼吸速率显著增加。与CK相比,施用6 t·hm?2的JG、JZ、SWT的土壤呼吸速率平均提高103.42%、86.31%、18.83%, JZ和JG处理的土壤呼吸速率显著高于SWT和CK处理。相关性分析表明,土壤水分与土壤呼吸速率呈显著正相关关系, TOC、MBC以及EOC与土壤呼吸速率呈极显著正相关关系。4)施入不同改良剂均显著提高了土壤呼吸总量、土壤微生物呼吸总量和净生态系统生产力(NEP值),均表现出较强的碳汇潜力, JG处理的NEP值较JZ和SWT处理分别显著提高56.45%和122.12%,且各处理间差异显著,说明秸秆改良剂具有较高的碳汇强度。该研究可为川西北藏区补充完善高寒草地沙化土壤制定科学有效的土壤碳调控管理措施提供依据。     

Long-term effects of farmyard manure and sewage sludge on some soil biochemical characteristics

 Changes in some soil biochemical properties were investigated following repeated applications of aerobically digested sewage sludge (SS) under field conditions over 12 years, and compared with those of an adjacent soil cultivated and amended with 5 t ha^–1 year^–1 (dry weight) farmyard manure (FYM) for at least 40 years, as well as with those of an adjacent uncultivated soil, in order to ascertain changes in soil quality. A short-term aerobic incubation was used to determine the potential of the samples to mineralize the organic C supplied. Results indicated that cultivation caused a reduction in total, humified and potentially mineralizable organic C, total N, light-fraction (LF) C, total and water-soluble carbohydrates, phenolic compounds, cation-exchange capacity (CEC), microbial biomass C, specific respiration, hydrolytic and urease activities, and an increase in the heavy metal content. Total and water-soluble carbohydrates and phenolic compounds expressed as a percentage of total organic C (TOC) were similar in the differently managed plots. Of the two amendments, FYM treatments showed higher amounts of TOC and N, LF-C, total and water-soluble carbohydrates, phenolic substances, CEC, specific respiration of biomass, hydrolytic and urease activities, similar amounts and characteristics of humified organic matter and lower concentrations of Cu, Zn and Cr. Both FYM and SS were inadequate treatments for the restoration of soil organic matter lost as a consequence of cultivation. Received: 20 October 1998     

不同经营措施对毛竹林土壤有机碳含量及季节动态的影响

Soil samples for conventional management （CM） and intensive management （IM） practices were taken over a year at 2-month intervals to determine the effect of management practices on soil organic carbon （SOC） and to quantify seasonal dynamics in SOC for bamboo （Phyllostachys pubescens Mazel ex H. de Lehaie） stands. The results with IM compared to CM showed large decreases in total organic carbon （TOC）, microbial biomass carbon （MBC）, water-soluble organic carbon （WSOC）, and the MBC/TOC ratio in the soils. With all IM plots in the 0-20 cm depth across sampling periods, average decreases compared with CM were： TOC, 12.1%; MBC, 26.1%; WSOC, 29.3%; the MBC/TOC ratio, 16.1%; and the WSOC/TOC ratio, 20.0%. Due to seasonal changes of climate, seasonal variations were observed in MBC and WSOC. Soil MBC in the 0-20 cm depth in September compared to May were 122.9% greater for CM and 57.6% greater for IM. However, due primarily to soil temperature, soil MBC was higher during the July to November period, whereas because of soil moisture, WSOC was lower in July and January. This study revealed that intensive management in bamboo plantations depleted the soil C pool; therefore, soil quality with IM should be improved through application of organic manures.     

Microbiological degradation index of soils in a semiarid climate

Soil degradation and desertification affect many areas of the planet. One such area is the Mediterranean region of SE Spain, where the climatological and lithological conditions, together with the relief of the landscape and anthropological activity, including agricultural abandonment, are responsible for increasing desertification. It is therefore considered to be of extreme importance to be able to measure soil degradation quantitatively. The aim of this study was to make a microbiological and biochemical characterisation of different soil catenas in SE Spain, including in a wide range of plant cover densities in an attempt to assess the suitability of the parameters measured to reflect the state of soil degradation and the possibility of using the parameters to elaborate a microbiological degradation index (MDI) valid for use in semiarid climates. For this, several indices related with the organic matter content (total organic carbon, TOC, water-soluble carbon, WSC, and water-soluble carbohydrates, WSCh), with the size of microbial populations (microbial biomass carbon, MBC) and related activity (respiration and enzymatic activities) were determined in the soils of three different catenas in different seasons of the year. The values of these parameters were seen to be closely related with the degree of vegetal cover, forest soils with a high cover value showing the highest indices. There was a highly significant positive correlation (p<0.01) between the TOC and WSC content, and other parameters such as MBC, ATP, dehydrogenase activity and the activity of different hydrolases (urease, protease, phosphatase and β-glucosidase). The results show that the parameters analysed are a good reflection of a soil's microbiological quality since the soils with the worst characteristics (saline and with low organic matter and nutrient content) showed the lowest values. The study provides a soil degradation index based on its microbiological properties: MDI. This index is a function of the following five parameters, which showed the greatest weight in the factorial analysis made with all the parameters analysed: dehydrogenase activity, WSCh, urease activity, WSC and respiration.     

Soil restoration in semiarid Patagonia: Chemical and biological response to different compost quality

Restoration of soils burned by a wildfire using composted amendments of different origin (biosolids and municipal organic wastes) and final particle size (screened and unscreened) was studied after 6 and 12 months of application in a field trial in semiarid NW Patagonia. Composts were applied at 40 Mg ha⁻¹. A fertilized treatment with soluble N (100 kg ha⁻¹) and P (35 kg ha⁻¹), and a non-treated control were also included. As indicators of soil response, chemical (electrical conductivity, pH, organic C, total N, extractable P), biological (potential microbial respiration, potential net N mineralization, N retained in microbial biomass) and physical (temperature and soil moisture) properties were evaluated. Plant soil cover was also estimated. Soil chemical and biological properties showed a high response to organic amendment addition, more evident after the wet season (12 months of application). Soil organic C, total N and extractable P increased significantly with biosolids composts (BC), and soil pH with municipal composts (MC). Potential microbial C respiration and net N mineralization were similar for both MC and BC, and significantly higher than in the control and the inorganic fertilized treatment; when calculated on C or N basis the highest values corresponded to MC. Results imply that in terms of organic C accretion, BC were more effective than MC due to higher amounts of total and recalcitrant C. Screened and unscreened composts did not differ significantly in their effects on soil properties. The increase of organic C with BC did not contribute to increase soil moisture, which was even higher in control plots after the wet season; higher plant cover and water consumption in amended plots could also explain this pattern. Inorganic fertilization enhanced higher plant cover than organic amendments, but did not contribute to soil restoration.     

Relationships of soil respiration to microbial biomass, substrate availability and clay content

The roles of microbial biomass (MBC) and substrate supply as well as their interaction with clay content in determining soil respiration rate were studied using a range of soils with contrasting properties. Total organic C (TOC), water-soluble organic carbon, 0.5 M K₂SO₄-extractable organic C and 33.3 mM KMnO₄-oxidisable organic carbon were determined as C availability indices. For air-dried soils, these indices showed close relationship with flush of CO₂ production following rewetting of the soils. In comparison, MBC determined with the chloroform fumigation-extraction technique had relatively weaker correlation with soil respiration rate. After 7 d pre-incubation, soil respiration was still closely correlated with the C availability indices in the pre-incubated soils, but poorly correlated with MBC determined with three different techniques—chloroform fumigation extraction, substrate-induced respiration, and chloroform fumigation-incubation methods. Results of multiple regression analyses, together with the above observations, suggested that soil respiration under favourable temperature and moisture conditions was principally determined by substrate supply rather than by the pool size of MBC. The specific respiratory activity of microorganisms (CO₂-C/MBC) following rewetting of air-dried soils or after 7 d pre-incubation was positively correlated with substrate availability, but negatively correlated with microbial pool size. Clay content had no significant effect on CO₂ production rate, relative C mineralization rate (CO₂-C/TOC) and specific respiratory activity of MBC during the first week incubation of rewetted dry soils. However, significant protective effect of clay on C mineralization was shown for the pre-incubated soils. These results suggested that the protective effect of clay on soil organic matter decomposition became significant as the substrate supply and microbial demand approached to an equilibrium state. Thereafter, soil respiration would be dependent on the replenishment of the labile substrate from the bulk organic C pool.     

不同有机物料还田对华北农田土壤固碳的影响及原因分析

中国农业面临着废弃物数量大、污染严重,农田土壤生产力低的现实问题。该研究以增加农田土壤固碳为目标对砂质农田进行有机物料还田,将秸秆、猪粪、沼渣和生物炭4种物料用尿素调节等氮还田,对农田土壤有机碳、颗粒有机碳、可溶性有机碳和微生物量碳的含量进行测定,并探究不同有机物料还田对土壤有机碳的影响原因。研究结果表明:物料还田3a后,生物炭、猪粪和沼渣处理土壤有机碳(SOC)比秸秆处理分别高262.4%、26.8%和20.7%;2014—2015年生物炭处理的土壤微生物量碳(MBC)较秸秆处理降低2.9%~35.5%,猪粪处理和沼渣处理的土壤可溶性有机碳(DOC)分别提高17.1%~60.1%和7.2%~64.8%;2014—2015年生物炭、猪粪和沼渣处理土壤颗粒有机碳(POC)较秸秆处理提高10.8%~148.2%、9.5%~58.3%和11.3%~57.6%;物料还田后,土壤总有机碳(TOC)和POC呈极显著的回归关系(R2=0.67,P0.001),土壤DOC与MBC有极显著相关性(R2=0.52,P0.001)。与秸秆还田相比,生物炭还田有利于土壤POC的累积进而促进土壤有机碳的提升,猪粪和沼渣则通过提高土壤MBC、DOC和POC的含量,促进土壤有机碳的周转和固定。从农田土壤固碳角度而言,生物炭,猪粪和沼渣还田优于秸秆还田。     

不同森林植被下土壤活性有机碳的含量及动态变化

Soil organic matter （SOM） in forest ecosystems is not only important to global carbon （C） storage but also to sustainable management of forestland with vegetation types, being a critical factor in controlling the quantity and dynamics of SOM. In this field experiment soil plots with three replicates were selected from three forest vegetation types： broadleaf, Masson pine （Pinus massoniana Lamb.）, and Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata Hook.）. Soil total organic C （TOC）, two easily oxidizable C levels （EOC1 and EOC2, which were oxidized by 66.7 mmol L^-1 K2Cr2O7 at 130-140℃ and 333 mmol L^-1 KMnO4 at 25 ℃, respectively）, microbial biomass C （MBC）, and water-soluble organic C （WSOC） were analyzed for soil samples. Soil under the broadleaf forest stored significantly higher TOC （P ≤ 0.05）. Because of its significantly larger total soil C storage, the soil under the broadleaf forest usually had significantly higher levels （P ≤ 0.05） of the different labile organic carbons, EOC1, EOC2, MBC, and WSOC; but when calculated as a percentage of TOC each labile C fraction of the broadleaf forest was significantly lower （P ≤ 0.05） than one of the other two forests. Under all the three vegetation types temperature as well as quality and season of litter input generally affected the dynamics of different organic C fractions in soils, with EOC1, EOC2, and MBC increasing closely following increase in temperature, whereas WSOC showed an opposite trend.     

长期施肥对砂姜黑土可溶性碳淋溶的影响

研究施肥对砂姜黑土可溶性碳淋溶的影响,对有机肥的可持续利用有重要意义.该研究依托33 a的长期试验,分析常规施肥(MF)、化肥+低量小麦秸秆(MFL)、化肥+高量小麦秸秆(MFH)、化肥+猪粪(MFP)和化肥+牛粪(MFC)等施肥方式对土壤剖面(0～60 cm)理化性质、微生物性状、可溶性有机碳(Dissolved O...     

Responses of Saline Soil Properties and Cotton Growth to Different Organic Amendments

Application of organic waste to saline alkaline soils is considered to be a good practice for soil remediation. The effects of applying different organic amendments (e.g., cattle dung, vermicompost, biofertilizer) and earthworm inoculations (Eisenia fetida) on saline soils and cotton growth were investigated during 1 year of cotton cultivation. Compared to the control (applied with inorganic NPK fertilizer), applying organic amendments improved soil physicochemical properties. Biofertilizer application improved available nutrient content, reduced short-term soil electrical conductivity, and produced the highest cotton yield, whereas cattle dung and vermicompost applications resulted in higher soil organic matter content. Application of organic amendments significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon during the flowering period, which sharply declined at harvest. This was especially true for the biofertilizer treatment, which also exhibited lower nematode abundance compared with the other organic materials. Earthworm inoculation following cattle dung application failed to significantly change soil physicochemical properties when compared to the treatments without earthworm inoculation. Results suggest that biofertilizer application to saline soil would improve soil nutrient status in the short-term, whereas cattle dung application would improve soil organic matter content and increase soil organism abundance to a greater extent. However, different strategies might be required for long-term saline soil remediation.     

Reduced tillage with residue retention improves soil labile carbon pools and carbon lability and management indices in a seven-year trial with wheat-mung bean-rice rotation

Soil total organic carbon (TOC) is a composite indicator of soil quality with implications for crop production and the regulation of soil ecosystem services. Research reports on the dynamics of TOC as a consequence of soil management practices in subtropical climatic conditions, where microbial carbon(C) loss is high, are very limited. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of seven years of continuous tillage and residue management on soil TOC dynamics (quantitative and qualitati...     

不同耕作方式对土壤有机碳、微生物量及酶活性的影响

【目的】依托8年长期(2005~2012)固定道定位试验,研究不同耕作方式对土壤有机碳、土壤微生物量、土壤酶活性在0—90 cm土层的分布特征,为优化中国西北干旱区的耕作方式提供理论依据。【方法】试验包括固定道垄作(PRB)、固定道平作(PFT)与传统耕作(CT)三种耕作模式下的土壤有机碳土壤总有机碳(TOC)、颗粒有机碳(POC)、土壤微生物量碳(MBC)、土壤微生物量氮(MBN)、土壤微生物量磷(MBP)、蔗糖酶、过氧化氢酶、脲酶及小麦产量进行了测定和分析。【结果】在0—90 cm土层,不同耕作方式下的TOC、POC、MBC、MBN、MBP、蔗糖酶活性、脲酶活性均随着土层的增加呈下降趋势,过氧化氢酶活性呈先下降后增大的分布特征;在0—60 cm,固定道保护性耕作能够显著增加心土层作物生长带土壤有机碳储量,有机碳储量大小为PRBPFTCT;PRB、PFT较CT可以显著增加0—10 cm作物生长带TOC、POC、MBC、MBN、MBP含量、蔗糖酶、脲酶活性,其大小为PRBPFTCT;耕作方式对过氧化氢酶活性影响不显著;TOC、POC、MBC、MBN、MBP、蔗糖酶活性、脲酶活性、过氧化氢酶活性之间均达到了显著或极显著相关。【结论】PRB较PFT、CT能够提高耕作层(0—10 cm)土壤有机碳含量、土壤微生物量、土壤酶活性, 增加作物产量, 增大0—60 cm土层有机碳储量,耕作方式(PRB、PFT及CT)对10 cm以下土层土壤环境改善作用不明显。     

不同养分和水分模式对水稻土化学和微生物学质量参数的影响

A field experiment was conducted from 1999 to 2002 to compare and evaluate the effects of nutrient and water regimes on paddy soil quality by investigating soil chemical and microbiological parameters. Four nutrient regimes, a control, chemical fertilizers only (CF), chemical fertilizers with swine manure (SM), and chemical fertilizers with wheat straw (WS), and two soil moisture regimes, continuous waterlogging (CWL) and alternate wetting and drying (AWD), were investigated. With SM and WS total organic carbon and total nitrogen in the paddy soil were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those with CF. A similar effect for organic amendments was observed in the soil light fraction organic C (LFOC), water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and water-soluble organic C (WSOC). CWL, in particular when swine manure was incorporated into the paddy soil, markedly decreased soil redox potential (Eh) and increased total active reducing substances (ARS). Meanwhile, as compared to CF, SM and WS significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and mineralizable carbon, with differences in AWD being higher than CWL. In addition, SM and WS treatments significantly (P < 0.05) improved rice above-ground biomass and grain yield, with AWD being greater than CWL. Thus, for ecologically sustainable agricultural management of paddy soils, long-term waterlogging should be avoided when organic manure was incorporated into paddy soil.     

不同橡胶生长期土壤中的微生物生物量碳和有机碳

Soil samples were collected from different rubber fields in twenty-five plots selected randomly in the Experimental Farm of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences located in Hainan, China, to analyse the ecological effect of rubber cultivation. The results showed that in the tropical rubber farm, soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and total organic C (TOC) were relatively low in the content but highly correlated with each other. After rubber tapping, soil MBC of mature rubber fields decreased significantly, by 55.5%, compared with immature rubber fields. Soil TOC also decreased but the difference was not significant. Ratios of MBC to TOC decreased significantly. The decreasing trend of MBC stopped at about ten years of rubber cultivation. After this period, soil MBC increased relatively while soil TOC still kept in decreasing. Soil MBC changes could be measured to predict the tendency of soil organic matter changes due to management practices in a tropical rubber farm several years before the changes in soil TOC become detectable.     

苏打盐碱水灌溉的土壤添加石膏肥和有机肥后水溶性碳和微生物碳研究

Microbial biomass carbon (MBC), a small fraction of soil organic matter, has a rapid turnover rate and is a reservoir of labile nutrients. The water-extractable carbon pools provide a fairly good estimate of labile C present in soil and can be easily quantified. Changes in soil MBC and water-extractable organic carbon pools were studied in a 14-year long-term experiment in plots of rice-wheat rotation irrigated with canal water (CW), sodic water (SW, 10-12.5 mmol c L-1 residual sodium carbonate), and SW amended with gypsum with or without application of organic amendments including farmyard manure (FYM), green manure (GM), and wheat straw (WS). Irrigation with SW increased soil exchangeable sodium percentage by more than 13 times compared to irrigation with CW. Sodic water irrigation significantly decreased hot water-extractable organic carbon (HWOC) from 330 to 286 mg kg-1 soil and cold water-extractable organic carbon (CWOC) from 53 to 22 mg kg-1 soil in the top 0-7.5 cm soil layer. In the lower soil layer (7.5-15 cm), reduction in HWOC was not significant. Application of gypsum alone resulted in a decrease in HWOC in the SW plots, whereas an increase was recorded in the SW plots with application of both gypsum and organic amendments in both the soil layers. Nevertheless, application of gypsum and organic amendments increased the mean CWOC as compared with application of gypsum alone. CWOC was significantly correlated with MBC but did not truly reflect the changes in MBC in the treatments with gypsum and organic amendments applied. For the treatments without organic amendments, HWOC was negatively correlated with MBC (r = 0.57*) in the 0-7.5 cm soil layer, whereas for the treatments with organic amendments, both were positively correlated. Irrigation with SW significantly reduced the rice yield by 3 t ha-1 and the yield of rice and wheat by 5 t ha-1 as compared to irrigation with canal water. Application of amendments significantly increased rice and wheat yields. Both the rice yield and the yield of rice and wheat were significantly correlated with MBC (r = 0.49**-0.56**, n = 60). HWOC did not exhibit any relation with the crop yields under the treatments without organic amendments; however, CWOC showed a positive but weak correlation with the crop yields. Therefore, we found that under sodic water irrigation, HWOC or CWOC in the soils was not related to MBC.     

Evaluation of the Effects of Soil Depth on Microbial Activity in Three Agroecosystems in Venezuela

The objective of this study was to determine the total organic carbon (TOC), basal respiration (BR), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), the metabolic quotient (qCO₂), and ratio of microbial biomass carbon to total organic carbon (MBC/TOC) at different soil depths in three agroecosystems in Fundo Zamorano Independencia, Cojedes State, Venezuela. The types of agroecosystems studied were short-cycle corn and bean cropland, pastureland, and gallery forest, which was used as the control soil. The BR was determined by measuring the carbon dioxide released in a closed system, and the MBC was analyzed by applying the substrate-induced respiration method. The BR and the MBC varied depending on depth and transect position, decreasing between 18% and 38% at a depth of >10 cm with respect to the measurements taken between 0 and 10 cm. Significantly greater BR and MBC values were found at the middle transect position, where the soils with the greatest moisture content are located. No significant differences for BR, MBC, and qCO₂ values were found among the agroecosystems. This was due to the high spatial variability of the physical and chemical properties of the soils in the study site. However, with the application of the Kruskal–Wallis test, significant differences for the TOC and MBC/TOC values were found among the agroecosystems. These results highlight the importance of the type of plant cover over soil in different agroecosystems, mainly on pastureland, which maintains the potential of the inocular mycorrhizal of the soil.     

有机培肥对连作花生土壤肥力及活性有机碳库的影响

  目的  针对花生连作及化肥滥用导致土壤肥力下降、土壤碳库失衡等问题,开展有机培肥改善连作花生田土壤质量研究。  方法  实验选取连作5年的花生田建立四个完全随机区组,设置蚯蚓粪配施化肥（VM）、“NMM”菌肥配施化肥（BF）、单施化肥（CF）和无施入对照（CK）四个处理,在花生结荚期取样并比较土壤综合肥力指数、土壤活性有机碳含量及有效率、土壤碳库管理指数的变化。  结果  与CK和CF相比,有机培肥显著提高了土壤综合肥力指数、土壤有机碳及易氧化有机碳、微生物生物量碳、可矿化有机碳含量和碳库管理指数（P < 0.05）,其中VM处理效果最佳;有机培肥土壤微生物生物量碳、可矿化有机碳和可溶性有机碳有效率较CK和CF显著降低。冗余分析和相关性分析表明有机培肥与土壤总有机碳及各活性有机碳含量显著正相关,与除了易氧化有机碳有效率以外的其他土壤活性有机碳有效率呈负相关;碳库管理指数与易氧化有机碳、微生物量碳、可溶性有机碳、可矿化有机碳显著（P < 0.05）或极显著（P < 0.01）正相关。  结论  合理有机培肥能够提高土壤活性有机碳含量,同时有助于土壤非活性有机碳的积累。有机培肥对提高连作花生田土壤综合肥力和土壤碳库储量、缓解连作障碍有显著作用。