A RAPID METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE SURFACE AREA OF ALUMINOSILICATES FROM THE ADSORPTION DYNAMICS OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL VAPOUR

A new method is described for determining the surface area of soils and clays by adsorbing ethylene glycol vapour under continuous evacuation at c. 10^-2 cm of mercury. The adsorption of a monolayer of ethylene glycol is inferred from the dynamics of pressure changes in the adsorption chamber. The time at which monolayer adsorption is evaluated is proportional to the total weight of ethylene glycol required to form a monolayer on all samples in the adsorption chamber. This period ranged from 30 to 75 minutes when from 0·39 to 1·56 g of glycol was adsorbed in the experiments. A single 0·75 g sample of Wyoming bentonite required 0·195 & glycol.     

Nitrogen Release from Environmentally Smart Nitrogen Fertilizer as Influenced by Soil Series,Temperature, Moisture,and Incubation Method

Environmentally Smart Nitrogen (ESN) is a polymer-coated urea fertilizer with potential to increase crop recovery of fertilizer nitrogen (N). Our research objectives were to characterize ESN N retention across time as affected by soil series, temperature, moisture, and incubation method. A rumen bag containing 38 to 44 mg ESN N was placed in 400 g soil, and the amount of ESN N remaining in prills was measured every 5 d for 40 d. Soil was incubated at 25 °C and 250 g H₂O kg^?1 soil, except in experiments where soil temperature or moisture was varied. Nitrogen retention in ESN was linear for three silt and sandy loams and curvilinear in two clayey soils with retention declining more rapidly in clayey soils. Soil temperature had the greatest effect on N retention with the rate of ESN N release increasing as soil temperature increased. Near complete release of ESN N was achieved by 40 d with temperatures ≥ 20 °C.     

Leaching of ethylene glycol and ethanol in subsoils

The use of the heat pumps connected to ground coils wins widespread interest in the heating of buildings, but in cases of leakage it may involve a risk of ground water pollution caused by anti-freeze mixture components. The adsorption of individual components, such as ethylene glycol, ethanol, methanol, and benzoic acid onto different soil types was studied at 6 °C by use of a batch procedure. No adsorption (or only slight) was observed for any of the test compounds onto samples of subhorizons of sandy till, clayey till, and melt water sand. Leaching experiments with undisturbed soil cores of sandy till showed that ¹⁴C-labelled ethylene glycol or ethanol closely followed the movement of water when cloride was used as a tracer. The percolation experiments were conducted during 79 to 154 day periods at 10 °C and under anaerobic conditions. Darcy velocities varied between 1 and 3 mm day^?1. About 100% of the added amounts of ¹⁴C were recovered in the effluents, although only 74 to 77% of ethylene glycol and 84 to 89% of ethanol were determined as the parent compounds by gas chromatography. Experiments on leaching of ethanol under controlled oxygen supply showed that degradation took place dependent on oxygen availability.     

Evaluation of the Displacement Value as a Method to Detect Reduced Corn Wet-Milling Quality

A procedure based on the resistance and capacitance (RC) properties of corn to calculate a displacement value (DV) was evaluated for detection of corn that had reduced wet-milling quality. In 1991 and 1992, three hybrids were dried at air temperatures between ambient and 115°C in batch dryers. Additional samples, obtained from commercial elevators in 1992, had been dried with air temperatures ranging from 52 to 136°C. A baseline reference relationship was developed between log₁₀-resistance and capacitance with data from ambient-dried samples. A DV was defined as the horizontal distance along the capacitance axis from a sample RC data point to the baseline reference. RC properties of samples dried at air temperatures >50°C were compared to the baseline and the DV determined. Selected drying treatments were wet-milled by a laboratory-scale procedure to verify milling quality and correlation with DV. The effects attributed to hybrid and harvest moisture content on the RC properties of ambient-dried samples were small, allowing the baseline reference to be applied to a wide range of corn samples. In 1992, the baseline shifted upward from the 1991 baseline by 0.5 units on the log₁₀-resistance axis. DV increased significantly at drying air temperatures >50°C for batchdried samples. While DV correlated with drying temperature in batchdried samples (r = 0.66), it did not correlate with starch yield or recovery of commercial samples (r ≤0.10). Although the specific causes could not be determined, the shift in the baseline indicates the method would be difficult to implement on a practical scale. Although not indicated by DV, starch recovery decreased significantly for samples batch-dried at air temperatures ≥70°C. All samples dried at 115–136° had significantly lower starch recoveries.     

Comparison of Three Methods for Measurement of Soil Organic Carbon

Quantification of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important element in the assessment of the carbon sequestration potential of soils in tree-based intercropping (TBI) systems. The organic carbon (OC) concentrations of soils in TBI systems often differ from those in conventional agricultural systems due to the additional C inputs from litter fall and roots. However, the presence of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) can confound the measurements of SOC. This study compared three methods of measuring SOC: (i) measurement of the total soil C (TC) in one subsample and, after treatment in a muffle furnace (575 °C) for 24 h, measurement of SIC in another subsample; (ii) SOC measured after fumigation with 12 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) to remove SIC; and (iii) SOC measured after digestion with 0.73 M H₂SO₃ to remove SIC. The TC, SOC, and SIC concentrations were determined by combustion. A correction factor was applied to express SIC and SOC concentrations on an original, untreated soil basis. Measurement of SOC by the muffle furnace method resulted in the greatest SOC concentrations for Populus spp. (hybrid poplar) for samples from two of the three depths (0–10 and 20–40 cm). Measurement of SOC by the HCl fumigation and H₂SO₃ digestion methods were highly correlated, suggesting complete removal of SIC with minimal oxidation of SOC. These results have implications for the method of measuring SOC in calcareous soils under coniferous and deciduous tree species to a depth of 40 cm.     

Production of ethylene by incubated litter of Pinus radiata

The inhibitory effect of vapour from incubated P. radiata D. Don litter to clover (Trifolium repens L.) hypocotyl growth was completely removed by KMnO₄ and ?195°C traps, but not affected by a cold trap at ?100°C. Plumule growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings was stimulated by litter vapour, and this stimulation was removed by the KMnO₄ trap. A peak with the same retention time as ethylene was detected in the litter vapour by gas chromatography. The addition of C₂H₄ to vapour which had been passed through the KMnO₄ trap fully restored inhibition.     

Frost action in clay soils. I. A temperature-step and equilibrate differential scanning calorimeter technique for unfrozen water content determinations below 0°C

A modified differential scanning calorimeter procedure was used to determine the relationship between temperature and unfrozen water content (UWC) in seven clays between 0°C and – 15°C to – 24°C. The procedure, which involved nucleation by a cooling followed by a rapid warming to – 0.l°C, avoided the difficulty of supercooling. Problems caused by temperature lag between the sample and its holder and by slowness of water movement within the sample, important even when cooling clay samples of about 17 mm³ at a rate of 0.31 K min^?1, were overcome by cooling in a stepwise fashion which allowed time for equilibration between each temperature step. The clays studied included sodium and calcium Wyoming bentonites, < 1 μm and 1–2 pm fractions of St Austell kaolinite and three subsoil clays from England. After nucleation and as temperature fell below OT, water froze in two stages in most of the clays. UWCs at the minimum temperatures reached were up to 38% for the bentonites, between 9% and 20% for the subsoil clays and <4% for the kaolinites.     

Clay mineralogical and ammonium fixation characteristics of some tropical upland rice soils

Abstract

In view of the agronomic and economic significance of NH₄ fixation in soils, an attempt has been made to relate this to the most reactive mineral constituents of soils ‐ the clay minerals, under the temperature‐moisture regimes normal to tropical upland rice soils. Laboratory fixation study was done with NH₄, concentrations similar to those common in soils upon N fertilization, and under alternate wetting and drying at ambient temperatures rather than at 100°C as in many published studies.

Results of the investigation show that soil clays with dominant vermiculite and montmorillonite fix the greatest proportion of applied NH₄ (94 and 91%), followed by beidellite (72%) and x‐ray amorphous (45–64%) clays. Fixation is negligible (10%) in the clay with mineral suite consisting of hydrous mica, halloysite, and chlorite. Crystallinity of minerals seems to influence NH₄ fixation appreciably.     

Effect of the soil dehydration temperature on the vapor-phase sorption of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-xylene

The effect of two methods for the preparation of soil samples for sorption experiments—hard (dehydration at 105°C) and mild (drying over P₂O₅ at 20°C in vacuum) drying—on the values of the vaporphase sorption of p-xylene was studied depending on the content of organic matter in the soil. It was shown with dark gray forest and chernozemic soils as examples that the hard drying of soil samples taken from the upper layer of the humus profile with a high content (>4%) of organic carbon decreased their sorption capacity in the range of 0–5% by 7–81%. Therefore, the method is unsuitable for these soils. It was also found that the mild method of soil preparation had obvious analytical advantages.     

Effect of Extruding Wheat Flour at Lower Temperatures on Physical Attributes of Extrudates and on Thiamin Loss When Using Carbon Dioxide Gas as a Puffing Agent

Wheat flour with 0.3% (w/w) thiamin was extruded on a twin‐screw laboratory‐scale extruder (19‐mm barrel) at lower temperatures and expanded using carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas at 150 psi. Extrusion conditions were die temperature of 80°C and screw speed range of 300–400 rpm. Control samples were extruded at a die temperature of 150°C and screw speed range of 200–300 rpm. Dough moisture content was 22% in control samples and 22 and 25% in CO₂ samples. Expansion ratio, bulk density, WAI, and %WSI were compared between control and treatment. CO₂ injection did not significantly increase expansion ratio. Bulk densities in the CO₂ extruded samples decreased when feed moisture decreased from 25 to 22%. The products using CO₂ had lower WAI values than products puffed without CO₂ at higher temperatures. The mean residence time was longer in CO₂ screw configurations than in conventional screw configurations. Thiamin losses were 10–16% in the control samples. With CO₂, thiamin losses were 3–11% at 22% feed moisture, compared with losses of 24–34% at 25% moisture. Unlike typical high‐temperature extrusion, thiamin loss in the low‐temperature samples decreased with increasing screw speed. Results indicate that thiamin loss at lower extrusion temperatures with CO₂ injection is highly dependent on moisture content.     

Viability of Oryza sativa L. seeds stored under genebank conditions for up to 30 years

Germination ability, equilibrium relative humidity (eRH), and moisture content of ‘control’ seed samples representing 183 rice accessions stored in the active (2–4 °C) and base (?10 °C until 1993, then ?20 °C) collections of the T. T. Chang Genetic Resources Center were determined after storage for 20.5–30.5 years. Germination of seeds that had been stored in the base collection was generally high (>70 %), whereas germination was more variable for seeds stored in the active collection. Samples with lower viability after storage in the active collection were likely to have lower viability after storage in the base collection. There were significant differences in the moisture content-eRH relationship of the seeds depending on whether the seeds had been stored in the active or base collection. Based on re-test data for regular seed samples regenerated in 1979–1980 and stored in the active collection for up to 31 years, estimates of the time for ability to germinate to fall to 50 % (p ₅₀) ranged from 54 to 997 years. For the same seed samples stored in the base collection for approximately 31 years, ability to germinate has been maintained and germination increased due to improved procedures. The ability to germinate of base collection samples was also generally higher than that of ‘safety duplicate’ samples of the same seed lots that had been sent to the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, USA in 1981 and stored at ?18 °C. This may have been due to uptake of moisture either during processing for dispatch or as a consequence of poor packaging material. The results are discussed in relation to long-term seed storage and genebank management.     

Properties of sub soils in relation to various measures of surface area and water content

Neither the specific surface area values (from N₂ sorption) nor the ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME) retention values of 21 soil samples from New Zealand and Fiji could all be accounted for by the sum of the contributions from their component minerals. Much EGME is probably retained by internal surfaces of inter layered and interstratified clay minerals. EGME retention correlated well with cation exchange capacity (CEC) and a number of measures of water content of these soils. The water contents of air-dried soils (measured as ‘moisture factors’ or the ratios of air-dry and oven-dry weights) showed almost as close a relationship to CEC as EGME retention for this set of 21 subsoils. Moisture factors and CEC were closely related, within groups defined by dominant clay mineralogies, for a much wider selection of 1318 New Zealand soil horizons with low carbon contents. The relationships between surface area and a number of other soil properties including dispersibility of soils were also examined.     

Effect of Sucrose on Glass Transition,Gelatinization, and Retrogradation of Wheat Starch

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study the effect of sucrose on wheat starch glass transition, gelatinization, and retrogradation. As the ratio of sucrose to starch increased from 0.25:1 to 1:1, the glass transition temperature (T_g, T_g′) and ice melting enthalpy (ΔH_ice) of wheat starch‐sucrose mixtures (with total moistures of 40–60%) were decreased to a range of −7 to −20°C and increased to a range of 29.4 to 413.4 J/g of starch, respectively, in comparison with wheat starch with no sucrose. The T_g′ of the wheat starch‐sucrose mixtures was sensitive to the amount of added sucrose, and detection was possible only under conditions of excess total moisture of >40%. The peak temperature (T_m) and enthalpy value (ΔH_G) for gelatinization of starch‐sucrose systems within the total moisture range of 40–60% were increased with increasing sucrose and were greater at lower total moisture levels. The T_g′ of the starch‐sucrose system increased during storage. In particular, the significant shift in T_g′ ranged between 15 and 18°C for a 1:1 starch‐sucrose system (total moisture 50%) after one week of storage at various temperatures (4, 32, and 40°C). At 40% total moisture, samples with sucrose stored at 4, 32, and 40°C for four weeks had higher retrogradation enthalpy (ΔH) values than a sample with no sucrose. At 50 and 60% total moisture, there were small increases in ΔH values at storage temperature of 4°C, whereas recrystallization of samples with sucrose stored at 32 and 40°C decreased. The peak temperature (T_p), peak width (δT), and enthalpy (ΔH) for the retrogradation endotherm of wheat starch‐sucrose systems (1:0.25, 1:0.5, and 1:1) at the same total moisture and storage temperature showed notable differences with the ratio of added sucrose. In addition, T_p increased at the higher storage temperature, while δT increased at the lower storage temperature. This suggests that the recrystallization of the wheat starch‐sucrose system at various storage temperatures can be interpreted in terms of δT and T_p.     

Kinetics of native and added carbon mineralization on incubating at different soil and moisture conditions in Typic Ustochrepts and Typic Halustalf

The carbon dynamics in soils is of great importance due to its links to the global carbon cycle. The prediction of the behavior of native soil organic carbon (SOC) and organic amendments via incubation studies and mathematical modeling may bridge the knowledge gap in understanding complex soil ecosystems. Three alkaline Typic Ustochrepts and one Typic Halustalf with sandy, loamy sand, and clay loam texture, varying in percent SOC of 0.2; S₁, 0.42; S₂, 0.67; S₃ and 0.82; S₄ soils, were amended with wheat straw (WS), WS + P, sesbania green manure (GM), and poultry manure (PM) on 0.5% C rate at field capacity (FC) and ponding (P) moisture levels and incubated at 35 °C for 1, 15, 30 and 45 d. Carbon mineralization was determined via the alkali titration method after 1, 5, 7 14, 21, and 28 d. The SOC and inorganic carbon contents were determined from dried up (50 °C) soil samples after 1, 15, 30, and 45 d of incubation. Carbon from residue mineralization was determined by subtracting the amount of CO₂-C evolved from control soils. The kinetic models; monocomponent first order, two-component first order, and modified Gompertz equations were fitted to the carbon mineralization data from native and added carbon. The SOC decomposition was dependent upon soil properties, and moisture, however, added C was relatively independent. The carbon from PM was immobilized in S₄. All the models fitted to the data predicted carbon mineralization in a similar range with few exceptions. The residues lead to the OC build-up in fine-textured soils having relatively high OC and cation exchange capacities. Whereas, fast degradation of applied OC in coarse-textured soils leads to faster mineralization and lower build-up from residues. The decline in CaCO₃ after incubation was higher at FC than in the P moisture regime.     

Measurement and Comparison of Glass Transition and Sticky Point Temperatures of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) with Varying Condensed Distillers Solubles (CDS) and Drying Temperature Levels

Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is the main coproduct of the U.S. fuel ethanol industry and has significantly impacted the livestock feed markets in recent years. Particle agglomeration and subsequent flowability problems during storage and transport are often a hindrance, a nuisance, and expensive. This paper aims at characterizing the glass transition (T_g) and sticky point (T_s) temperatures of DDGS samples prepared with varying condensed distillers solubles (CDS) levels (10, 15, and 20%, wb), drying temperatures (100, 200, and 300°C), and moisture contents (0, 10, and 20%, db), and it discusses implications on DDGS flowability behavior. Distillers wet grains were combined with specified levels of CDS and dried in a convection‐style laboratory oven to produce DDGS. Subsequently, predetermined amounts of water were added to the DDGS to achieve desired moisture content levels. To determine T_g (°C), a differential scanning calorimeter was used, whereas T_s (°C) was determined through a novel technique with a rheometer. Results indicated high correlations between observed T_s and observed T_g (R² = 0.87) data for DDGS samples. Also, the empirical model for predicted T_g = f (drying temperature, CDS level, and moisture content) based on the Gordon–Taylor model showed favorable R² (0.74). Stickiness of DDGS increased with an increase in moisture content, indicating flow problems resulting from moisture. It was found that drying temperatures and CDS levels each had significant effects on T_g and T_s as well.     

The effect of drying on chemical properties of some Papua New Guinea soils

Abstract

Cation exchange capacity increased with both air drying (25°C) and oven drying (105°C). The initial value of exchange acidity at field moisture determines whether exchange acidity increases or decreases after drying. Exchangeable bases, particularly calcium, increase with oven drying.     

Comparison of various methods for the determination of specific surfaces of sub soils

Retention of ethylene glycol monoethylether (EGME) and ethylene glycol (EG), and sorption of nitrogen and water vapour, were studied on a wide range of soils from New Zealand and Fiji. EGME retention was mainly affected by the amount of EGME liquid present in the desiccator, the interaction with the desiccant (CaCl₂), the amount of residual water in the samples, and the time taken to establish end-points. The extent to which each of these factors influences the weight of EGME retained was different for each sample. Surface areas from nitrogen sorption (BET) were not related to those derived from EGME retention in the same way for all soils; EGME retentions did not vary systematically with clay mineralogy. A constant conversion factor cannot be used to convert retentions of polar liquids (EGME, water and EG) to specific surface values, and retention data by itself cannot be used to measure the absolute surface areas of soils.     

Modeling aerobic decomposition of rice straw during the off-rice season in an Andisol paddy soil in a cold temperate region of Japan: Effects of soil temperature and moisture

Submerged rice paddies are a major source of methane (CH₄) which is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide (CO₂). Accelerating rice straw decomposition during the off-rice season could help to reduce CH₄ emission from rice paddies during the single rice-growth season in cold temperate regions. For understanding how both temperature and moisture can affect the rate of rice straw decomposition during the off-rice season in the cold temperate region of Tohoku district, Japan, a modeling incubation experiment was carried out in the laboratory. Bulk soil and soil mixed with 2% of δ¹³C-labeled rice straw with a full factorial combination of four temperature levels (?5 to 5, 5, 15, 25°C) and two moisture levels (60% and 100% WFPS) were incubated for 24 weeks. The daily change from ?5 to 5°C was used to model the freezing–thawing cycles occurring during the winter season. The rates of rice straw decomposition were calculated by (i) CO₂ production; (ii) change in the soil organic carbon (SOC) content; and (iii) change in the δ¹³C value of SOC. The results indicated that both temperature and moisture affected the rate of rice straw decomposition during the 24-week aerobic incubation period. Rates of rice straw decomposition increased not only with high temperature, but also with high moisture conditions. The rates of rice straw decomposition were more accurately calculated by CO₂ production compared to those calculated by the change in the SOC content, or in its δ¹³C value. Under high moisture at 100% WFPS condition, the rates of rice straw decomposition were 14.0, 22.2, 33.5 and 46.2% at ?5 to 5, 5, 15 and 25°C temperature treatments, respectively. While under low moisture at 60% WFPS condition, these rates were 12.7, 18.3, 31.2 and 38.4%, respectively. The Q₁₀ of rice straw decomposition was higher between ?5 to 5 and 5°C than that between 5 and 15°C and that between 15 and 25°C. Daily freezing–thawing cycles (from ?5 to 5°C) did not stimulate rice straw decomposition compared with low temperature at 5°C. This study implies that to reduce CH₄ emission from rice paddies during the single rice-growth season in the cold temperate regions, enhancing rice straw decomposition during the high temperature period is very important.     

Effect of termites on clay minerals in tropical soils: fungus-growing termites as weathering agents

Termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae play an important role in tropical ecosystems: they modify the soil's physical properties and thereby make food available for other organisms. Clay is important in the architecture of Macrotermitinae termite nests, and it has been postulated that termites could modify the mineralogical properties of some clays. We have tested this hypothesis of clay transformation by termites in the laboratory under controlled conditions, using Odontotermes nr. pauperans termite species, one of the main fungus‐growing species at Lamto Research Station (Côte d'Ivoire). Soil handled by termites in nest building was saturated with SrCl₂, glycol or KCl and afterwards heated at 250°C for X‐ray diffraction analyses. Termite handling led to an increase in the expandable layers of the component clay minerals. Heating and saturation by potassium of modified clays did not close the newly formed expandable clay layers. However, differences occurred between parts of the constructions built by termites, and the clays can be ranked according to their degree of alteration in the following order: unhandled soils < galleries < chamber walls. Consequently, termites can be seen as weathering agents of clay minerals, as previously shown for micro‐organisms and plants.     

Decomposition of soil organic carbon influenced by soil temperature and moisture in Andisol and Inceptisol paddy soils in a cold temperate region of Japan

Purpose

Understanding the effects of temperature and moisture on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is crucial to predict the cycling of C in terrestrial ecosystems under a changing climate. For single rice cropping system, there are two contrasting phases of SOC decomposition in rice paddy soils: mineralization under aerobic conditions during the off-rice season and fermentation under anaerobic conditions during the growth season. This study aimed to investigate the effects of soil temperature and moisture on SOC decomposition under the aerobic and subsequently anaerobic conditions.

Materials and methods

Two Japanese paddy soils (Andisol and Inceptisol) were firstly incubated under four temperatures (±5, 5, 15, and 25°C) and two moisture levels (60 and 100% water-filled pore space (WFPS)) under aerobic conditions for 24 weeks. Then, these samples were incubated for 4 weeks at 30°C and under anaerobic conditions. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) productions were measured during the two incubation stages to monitor the SOC decomposition dynamics. The temperature sensitivity of SOC was estimated by calculation of the Q₁₀ parameter.

Results and discussion

The total CO₂ production after the 24-week aerobic incubation was significantly higher in both soils for increasing soil temperature and moisture (P < 0.01). During the subsequent anaerobic incubation, total decomposed C (sum of CO₂ and CH₄ productions) was significantly lower in samples that had been aerobically incubated at higher temperatures (15 and 25°C). Moreover, CH₄ production was extremely low in all soil samples. Total decomposed C after the two incubation stages ranged from 256.8 to 1146.1 mg C kg^?1 in the Andisol and from 301.3 to 668.8 mg C kg^?1 in the Inceptisol. However, the ratios of total decomposed C to SOC ranged from 0.29 to 1.29% in the Andisol and from 2.21 to 4.91% in the Inceptisol.

Conclusions

Both aerobic and anaerobic decompositions of SOC in two paddy soils were significantly affected by soil temperature and moisture. Maintaining optimal soil temperature and medium moisture during the off-rice season might be an appropriate agricultural management to mitigate CH₄ emission in the following rice growth season. Although it is high in SOC content, Andisol has less biodegradable components compared to Inceptisol and this could be a probable reason for the distinct difference in temperature sensitivity of SOC decomposition between two paddy soils.