Response of microbial biomass to alternate moist and dry conditions in a soil incubated with 14C- and 15N-labelled plant material

A red mediterranean soil was incubated for 1.5 yr, with ¹⁴C- and ¹⁵N-labelled plant material under constant temperature and moisture conditions. Then a portion of the soil was submitted to 4 rapid drying (at 40°C) and rewetting cycles. The duration of the dry periods ranged from 8 to 10 days and the wet periods from 15 to 20 days. Another portion of the soil was incubated under continuously moist conditions. At the end of each dry and moist period, biomass-C and -N were estimated, using the chloroform fumigation technique. The portion of biomass killed on drying and that restored after rewetting were calculated, by the difference between the sizes of biomass present after the dry and the moist periods.Soil drying destroyed $\text{1}\text{3}$ to $\text{1}\text{4}$ of biomass and at each cycle, after remoistening, the biomass was progressively restored to approximately the same size as before drying.The labelled-C to total-C ratio of the CO₂ released from undisturbed and continuously moist soil, ranged from 6 to 7%. In biomass, which survived the drying, the values ranged from 20 to 22%, whereas in the killed biomass they ranged between 7 and 8%, i.e. the same orders of magnitude as that of CO₂ evolved from undisturbed soil.A comparison of the labelled-C to total-C ratio of (1) CO₂C released from undisturbed and continuously moist soil, (2) the extra CO₂-C evolved as a result of alternate drying-remoistening conditions, (3) CO₂C released from the soil at the end of moist periods, (4) the C of microbial biomass which survived the drying, and (5) the C of the biomass present at the end of the moist periods, revealed that the calculated portion of biomass killed on drying essentially corresponded to a still relatively “active” fraction of biomass and that the biomass surviving rapid drying, essentially corresponded to a dormant and protected fraction.In contrast to the labelled-C to total-C ratio, the labelled-N to total-N ratio, in the fraction of biomass which was destroyed on drying, was not different from that of the surviving fraction. During incubation, labelled nitrates accumulated progressively in soil; transformations of N were probably affected by a remetabolization of the nitrates and of material made decomposable on drying, including destroyed microflora and non-biomass material.     

Influences of starch and Zn-EDTA on Zn-desorption and rice ( Oryza sativa L.) nutrition under different moisture regimes

Desorption of Zn from sorbed Zn in soils is controlled by different moisture regimes in rice fields and thus control the Zn availability to rice. A laboratory experiment was conducted at different moisture regimes viz. flooded-dried, alternate wetting and drying and preflooding condition in two Inceptisols and two Alfisols of West Bengal, India, with (50?g kg^???1) and without starch as control to investigate the desorption of adsorbed Zn from Zn-EDTA (0.0, 0.1, and 0.2?mg Zn g^???1 soil). Percent desorption of Zn was found significantly higher on alternate wetting and drying condition in Alfisols. Starch applications enhanced desorption under flooded-dried and alternate wetting and drying, but decreased it under preflooding conditions. The variations in Zn desorption among soils and moisture treatments are the result of changes in soil pH, Fe-oxides, bonding energy constants, and free energies for Zn adsorption. After desorption experiment a pot trial was conducted with rice (cv. IET-4094) under alternate wetting and drying moisture conditions. The results show that the dry matter yield and 1000 grain weight of rice are appreciably higher when alternate flooding and drying moisture condition was maintained. This finding was in close agreement with the Zn desorption studies under the alternate flooding and drying moisture regimes.     

Soil photolysis of herbicides in a moisture- and temperature-controlled environment

The problem of maintaining the moisture content of samples throughout the course of a soil photolysis study is addressed. The photolytic degradations of asulam, triclopyr, acifluorfen, and atrazine were independently compared in air-dried soils and in moist (75% field moisture capacity at 0.33 bar) soils maintained at initial conditions through the use of a specially designed soil photolysis apparatus. Each pesticide was applied at 5 microg/g. The exposure phase extended from 144 to 360 h, depending on the half-life of the compound. A dark control study, also using moist and air-dried soils, was performed concurrently at 25 degrees C. The results showed significant differences in half-life. The dissipations generally demonstrated a strong dependence on moisture. In most cases, photolytic degradation on air-dried soil was longer than in the moist dark control soils. Half-lives in dry soil were 2-7 times longer, and in the case of atrazine, the absence of moisture precluded significant degradation. Moist soil experiments also tended to correlate more strongly with linear first-order degradations. The dark control experiments also demonstrated shorter half-lives in moist soil. Moisture was also observed to affect the amount of degradate formed in the soils.     

Addition of a clay subsoil to a sandy topsoil changes the response of microbial activity to drying and rewetting after residue addition – a model experiment

The effect of drying and rewetting (DRW) on C mineralization has been studied extensively but mostly in absence of freshly added residues. But in agricultural soils large amounts of residues can be present after harvest; therefore, the impact of DRW in soil after residue addition is of interest. Further, sandy soils may be ameliorated by adding clay‐rich subsoil which could change the response of microbes to DRW. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of DRW on microbial activity and growth in soils that were modified by mixing clay subsoil into sandy top soil and wheat residues were added. We conducted an incubation experiment by mixing finely ground wheat residue (20 g kg^–1) into top loamy sand soil with clay‐rich subsoil at 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40% (w/w). At each clay addition rate, two moisture treatments were imposed: constantly moist control (CM) at 75% WHC or dry and rewet. Soil respiration was measured continuously, and microbial biomass C (MBC) was determined on day 5 (before drying), when the soil was dried, after 5 d dry, and 5 d after rewetting. In the constantly moist treatment, increasing addition rate of clay subsoil decreased cumulative respiration per g soil, but had no effect on cumulative respiration per g total organic C (TOC), indicating that the lower respiration with clay subsoil was due to the low TOC content of the sand‐clay mixes. Clay subsoil addition did not affect the MBC concentration per g TOC but reduced the concentration of K₂SO₄ extractable C per g TOC. In the DRW treatment, cumulative respiration per g TOC during the dry phase increased with increasing clay subsoil addition rate. Rewetting of dry soil caused a flush of respiration in all soils but cumulative respiration at the end of the experiment remained lower than in the constantly moist soils. Respiration rates after rewetting were higher than at the corresponding days in constantly moist soils only at clay subsoil addition rates of 20 to 40%. We conclude that in presence of residues, addition of clay subsoil to a sandy top soil improves microbial activity during the dry phase and upon rewetting but has little effect on microbial biomass.     

Dry season soil conditions and soil nitrogen availability to wet season wetland rice

A pot experiment with Maahas clay soil covered three consecutive crops. After uniform growth of the first crop, the soils were subjected to different moisture conditions during the dry season. Prolonged drying before wet season flooded rice stimulated increased release of mineral nitrogen but moistening of the dry soil for a dryland crop or by occasional rain during the dry season reduced nitrogen use from the soil in the next wet season. One cycle of alternate wet and dry soil preparation for 20 days before transplanting rice improved soil nitrogen availability and plant uptake of fertilizer nitrogen.

The initial growth of rice was retarded after flooding the previously moist dryland or dried soil, but not in the continuously flooded soils.

Losses of applied nitrogen were small in continuously flooded soils and were greater in the previously moist dryland and dry treatments. Uptake of soil nitrogen, however, was much higher in the air-dried soil treatment and in the dry with alternate wet and dry preparation treatments. Total nitrogen uptake (soil+fertilizer) was also greater in those dry treatments. Uptake of soil nitrogen in the wet-season crop was roughly proportional to the amounts of ammonia measured just before transplanting.

The proportion of the uptake of immobilized fertilizer nitrogen to available soil nitrogen was constant among treatments. Release of immobilized fertilizer nitrogen was also greatly enhanced by soil drying. For 1976 wet-season crop, the availability of fertilizer nitrogen immobilized in the 1975 wet season was three times higher than that of native soil nitrogen.     

Soil photolysis in a moisture- and temperature-controlled environment. 2. Insecticides

The photolytic degradations of imidacloprid, carbofuran, diazinon, chlorpyrifos, pyridaben, propoxur, and esfenvalerate were independently compared in both moist (75% field moisture capacity at 0.33 bar) and air-dry microbially viable soils at 5 microg/g. All compounds were applied to sandy soil except for propoxur, which was applied to sandy loam soil. Diazinon was applied to both sandy soil and sandy loam soil. The samples were exposed for up to 360 h, depending on the half-life of the compound. Moisture and temperature were maintained through the use of a specially designed soil photolysis apparatus. Corresponding dark control studies were performed concurrently. With the exception of esfenvalerate, the other compounds exhibited significantly shorter half-lives in moist soils, attributed to the increased hydrolysis and microbial activity of the moist soil. The esfenvalerate metabolism was not first order due to limited mobility in the soil because of its very low water solubility. The overall half-life for esfenvalerate was 740 h, as the percent remaining did not drop below 60%. The imidacloprid half-life in irradiated moist soil was 1.8 times shorter than in air-dry soils. However, on dry soil the photodegradation showed poor first-order kinetics after 24 h of exposure. The metabolism of carbofuran and diazinon was highly dependent on soil moisture. Carbofuran exhibited 2.2 times longer half-lives when less moisture was available in the soil. Diazinon in moist sandy soil degraded rapidly, but slowed significantly in irradiated and dark control air-dry sandy soil. Diazinon photolysis on sandy loam soil was not first order, as it attained a constant concentration of 54.9%, attributed to decreased mobility in this soil. Chlorpyrifos photolysis was 30% shorter on moist sand than on air-dry sand. Pyridaben photolyzed rapidly throughout the first 72 h of irradiation but maintained 48% through 168 h. Propoxur metabolism in moist sandy loam soil was not first order and did not degrade below 50% after 360 h of exposure, but the overall half-life was still nearly half of that on irradiated air-dry soil. Three of the compounds showed differences in metabolism patterns during exposure on moist or air-dry soil. Typically, the moist soils produced a more linear decline than that seen in the dry soils, corresponding to the susceptibility of the particular chemical to hydrolysis and/or biodegradation. Four of the eight experiments had shorter half-lives in dark control moist soils than in irradiated dry soils.     

Rice Straw Composting and Its Effect on Soil Properties

In Egypt, recycling rice straw and organic wastes is of great concern as well as improvement of soil properties. Rice straw compost could improve both organic waste recycling and soil quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the rice straw compost, with or without water treatment residuals (WTR), on soil chemical properties and dry weight of canola. The results showed that the addition of rice straw compost and WTR decreased soil salinity and increased Ca⁺², K⁺ and organic matter. The addition of compost and WTR (2:1 wet weight ratio) at level of 10 g dry weight kg^?1 dry soil gave the best reduction in soil salinity compared to compost or WTR only or for level 10 g dry weight kg^?1 dry soil. The results also showed that the available P decreased with the application of WTR while it increased with the application of compost. The study demonstrated that the dry weight and relative increase (R.I %) of dry weight of canola plants increased with the application of WTR and compost to soil. Combinations of WTR and compost to soils had a greater effect on increasing yield and improved the efficiency of WTR on soil properties.     

Compost application increases the soil temperature on bare Andosol in a cool climate region

Abstract

Soil temperature is an important factor influencing crop growth. Within limits, a higher soil temperature will promote crop growth, particularly in cool climates. The application of compost increases the soil temperature, probably by drying the soil surface, but the relationship between soil temperature and soil water remains unclear. We conducted pot and field experiments on a bare Andosol in a cool climate region. The pot experiment examined the effects of compost application on soil temperature and evaporation, and the field experiment examined the effects of the properties and amount of compost on soil temperature. Pots with compost had a higher soil temperature and less evaporation than pots without compost. The decrease in evaporation and the increase in soil temperature by compost application were significantly correlated. The field experiment included 15 treatments: 12 compost treatments (four types of compost?×?three levels) and three chemical fertilizer treatments (one type of fertilizer?×?three levels). There was a significant correlation between soil temperature and the dry weight of the applied compost. We conclude that compost application increases soil temperature by decreasing evaporation from the soil surface. In addition, soil temperature increases with increasing dry weight of the compost applied, regardless of the chemical properties.     

Positive Effects of Biochar and Biochar-Compost on Maize Growth and Nutrient Availability in Two Agricultural Soils

Previous studies have reported positive, negative, or neutral effects on maize yield by the application of biochar and/or compost in the presence or absence of inorganic fertilization. This study investigated the influence of biochar, compost, and mixtures of the two, along with N fertilization, on maize (Zea mays L.) growth and nutrient status in two agricultural Mediterranean soils. Biochars (BC) were produced from grape pomace (GP) and rice husks (RH) by pyrolysis at 300°C (BC-GP; BC-RH). Maize was grown for 30 days after seedling emergence in a greenhouse pot trial in two Mediterranean soils (Sandy Loam-SL and Loam-L) amended with biochar or/and compost (BC-GP+compost; BC-RH+compost) at 2% (w/w) application rate with nitrogen (N) fertilization. The addition of BC-GP amendment resulted in the highest increase of aboveground dry weight (16 g/pot) compared to the control (6.27 g/pot) in SL soil, whereas in L soil the highest increase of aboveground dry weight resulted from BC-RH+compost (13.03 g/pot) compared to the control (2.43 g/pot). The addition of BC-GP+compost significantly increased phosphorus (P) concentration of the aboveground and belowground tissues only in L soil. Potassium (K) concentration of aboveground and belowground tissues significantly increased almost by all the amendments with the greatest increase being observed after the addition of BC-GP+compost in SL soil. To conclude, biochar addition could enhance plant growth, although soil conditions, type of biochar and additional fertilization should receive special attention in order to be used as a tool for sustainable agriculture.     

接种高温嗜热菌剂加快牛粪秸秆堆肥发酵进程

  【目的】  探究添加高温嗜热菌剂对牛粪堆肥的发酵效率、木质纤维素降解和堆肥品质的影响。  【方法】  以牛粪和玉米秸秆为原料进行堆肥。添加嗜热菌剂处理(GLL)的菌剂主要由普通高温放线菌(Thermoactinomyces vulgaris)、地尿素芽孢杆菌(Ureibacillus terrenus)和嗜热脱氮芽孢杆菌(Geobacillus thermodenitrificans)组成,以分别添加两个市售有机肥发酵菌剂的处理(A、B)为对照,同时设不接种菌剂的空白对照(CK),发酵试验为期30天。在堆肥第0、3、7、12、16、23、30天取样,烘干样用于测定堆肥木质纤维素含量,鲜样用于测定含水率、pH、电导率（EC）值、种子发芽率指数(GI)和细菌群落结构。  【结果】  GLL处理在堆肥第2天迅速升温至超高温期(85.8℃),超高温期持续5天;CK、A和B处理在堆肥第3天内进入高温期(分别为56.3℃、59.2℃和57.6℃),高温期分别持续了10、11和13天。接种GLL显著降低了堆肥水分含量,堆肥结束时含水量下降至34.3%,而CK、A和B处理的含水量分别下降至45.4%、43.8%和44.6%,未能满足产品水分标准。GLL处理半纤维素、纤维素和木质素在堆肥后比初始值分别下降81.6%、65.2%和53.7%,对木质纤维素的降解能力明显高于CK、A和B处理。在GLL处理堆肥高温期及超高温期,厚壁菌门细菌相对丰度增加到46.6%。接种GLL菌剂发酵后的堆肥产物的有机质、总养分、机械杂质质量分数及酸碱度、GI值等均满足NY/T 525—2021的要求。  【结论】  接种高温嗜热菌剂能够显著提高堆肥温度,延长高温期持续时间,实现超高温堆肥,降低水分含量,提高木质纤维素的降解效果,快速获得满足NY/T 525—2021要求的堆肥产品。     

采用EEM-FRI方法研究黑曲霉对牛粪堆肥腐熟及纤维素降解影响

为了优化堆肥工艺,提高堆肥产品质量,研究黑曲霉对牛粪堆肥腐熟度和纤维素降解的影响.该研究以牛粪为原料,小麦秸秆为辅料,以不添加黑曲霉为对照,分别添加1％、2％和3％的黑曲霉进行好氧堆肥,研究了黑曲霉不同添加量对腐熟度指标、养分含量、腐殖质组成以及纤维素组分的影响,并采用激发发射荧光光谱结合荧光区域积分(Excitati...     

Fate of sludge-applied silicones in agricultural soil microcosms

Our previous publications showed that silicone (polydimethylsiloxane, or PDMS) polymers degrade to monomeric silanols and eventually to C02 in laboratory soil incubations. In this study, 200 cs¹⁴C-PDMS was added to soil microcosms (Tuscola sandy loam and Fargo silty clay) in anaerobically digested sludge. Soybeans followed by wheat were grown for 7 months during which microcosms were subjected to 3 leaching events. Recoveries of¹⁴C in the microcosms ranged from 47 to 90%. The recovered¹⁴C was almost completely in the soils, with trace amounts in leachate and ≤ 2% of the total in plant shoots. Extraction of soils coupled with HPLC-GPC showed that the majority of soil^l4C was still polymeric, but with lower molecular weight than the original PDMS. From 1 to 5% of the remaining¹⁴C was probably small silanols. Results thus confirm laboratory studies and show that PDMS degradation occurs under conditions similar to the field.     

不同粒径保水剂对土壤物理性质和番茄苗期生长的影响

将不同粒径保水剂拌施土壤,研究其对土壤物理性质的影响及番茄幼苗对其的响应.结果表明,保水剂处理使土壤容重有所降低,略微提高了土壤总孔隙度,与正常水分对照组比较,保水剂处理组的土壤容重平均降低了6.221%,土壤总孔隙度平均提高了4.417%;土壤质量含水量、田间持水量、地上和地下部分干重都高于干旱对照组但低于正常水分对...     

Effect of soil moisture and sample depth on pesticide photolysis

The effects of soil depth and moisture on pesticide photolysis were studied. Moist soil at depths of 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, 1, and 0.5 mm were each dosed at 2.5 microg/g with (14)C-niclosamide and photolyzed under a xenon lamp at constant temperature. Samples were removed after 20, 40, 110, and 153 h of continuous irradiation. The decrease in percent of niclosamide and the appearance of degradates were followed by analyzing the soil extracts by HPLC. A corresponding set of experiments used air-dried soil. An experiment was also performed using initially moist soil which was permitted to dry during photolysis but returned to moist conditions at each sampling. Qualitative and quantitative differences were found in the rate and route of degradation of niclosamide under these conditions. These differences have resulted from a combination of reduced photochemical activity and microbial population in dry soil. The half-lives of niclosamide in the dry soils were 2 to 5 times longer than those in the moisture-maintained soil. There was also a noticeable difference in the half-lives in soil of different depths. Moisture-maintained soil showed a uniform linear increase in half-life from 95 to 195 h as soil depth increased from 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. With air-dried soil the half-lives were greatly dependent on soil depth, showing a much broader range of 199 h at 0.5-mm to 1064 h in 3.0-mm soil. An experimental design is described which maintains soil temperature and moisture to preset conditions.     

Effects of air-drying on the adsorption and desorption of phosphate and levels of extractable phosphate in a group of acid soils,New Zealand

The effects of air-drying field-moist soils on the adsorption and desorption of added phosphate and on the levels of extractable native soil phosphate were examined using the A and B horizons of a group of four acid soils.Air-drying increased the capacity of all the soil samples to adsorb phosphate. At an equilibrium solution concentration of 0.5 μg P ml^?1, the increase in the quantity of phosphate adsorbed following drying ranged from 23% to 70% of that adsorbed by the moist samples. Considerable hysteresis in phosphate adsorption—desorption isotherms was observed for both moist and dried soil samples indicating that the additional phosphate adsorbed by the dried samples was held with the same strength as that held by the moist samples.Air-drying the soil samples caused a small decrease in soil pH of approximately 0.1 pH unit and a general increase in levels of EDTA-extractable Fe, Al and organic matter. Quantities of native soil phosphate extractable with EDTA, resin and NaHCO₃ were also increased. Concentrations of oxalate- and pyrophosphate-extractable Fe and Al and exchangeable Al were, however, unaffected by drying.It was also shown that when the phosphate content of NaHCO₃ extracts is measured using the conventional molybdenum blue method, orthophosphate plus a differing amount of acid-hydrolysable organic P present in the extract is measured.     

Compost Effects on Soil Physical Properties And Field Nursery Production

Field production of ornamental shrubs often results in significant topsoil removal and degradation of surface soil physical properties. Building soil organic matter through compost amendments is one way to ameliorate effects from topsoil removal in woody ornamentals production. We amended field soils with three composts to evaluate their effects on soil physical properties and shrub biomass production. Specifically, we applied either duck manure-sawdust (DM), potato cull-sawdust-dairy manure (PC) or paper mill sludge-bark (PMB) composts to a Plano silt loam soil using two application methods: 2.5 cm of compost incorporated into the top 15 cm of soil (incorporated-only) or 2.5 cm of compost incorporated plus 2.5 cm of compost applied over the soil surface (mulched). We grew three shrub species from liners: Spirea japonicum ‘Gumball’, Juniper chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana’, and Berberis thunbergia ‘Atropurpurea’. Shrub species and soil amendment treatments were established in triplicate in a randomized split plot design. Total soil carbon (TC), bulk density (ρb), aggregate stability, soil moisture retention capacity (MRC), volumetric moisture content (θ_v), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_sat) were measured over three years (1998 to 2000). We measured above and below ground shrub dry matter production at the end of the first (1998) and second (1999) growing seasons. Mulched treatments resulted in 15%-21% higher TC than the incorporated-only and no-amendment control treatments. Bulk density decreased with increasing TC contents. Greater aggregate stability and the formation of larger aggregates were related to increased TC. Field moisture retention capacity tended to be higher in the incorporated treatments compared to the mulched and nonamended control treatments. Compost amended treatments increased saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_sat) sevenfold over the nonamended control. There were no compost effects on shrub biomass until the second year of growth. Barberry was the only species to respond significantly and positively to compost application. Specifically, mulched DM compost produced 39-42% greater total Barberry biomass than the other compost treatments and the nonamended control. Our findings showed that compost effects on soil physical properties differed among composts and their subsequent effects on shrub growth were species specific.     

Problems in predicting legume fertility needs in steeplanl pasture improvement with soil tests

Abstract

Soil tests are used to predict fertilizer and liming needs of legumes being introduced into permanent pastures. However, the routine drying of soil samples may change the soil characteristics so much that recommendations based on test results may be poorly related to actual plant needs in the field.

Test results from four soils, based on dried and moist samples, were related through stepwise multiple regression to percent nodulation and dry weight of white clover (Trifolium repens L. ) seedlings grown on soil cores in the greenhouse. Highly variable test results were obtained for Al, Mn, and P, depending on if a sample was dried or maintained moist. These discrepancies have implications for making P fertilizer and liming recommendations. Test results for other elements also varied widely.

Extractable Mn and P accounted for most of the variation observed in percent nodulation, whether soil samples were dried or not. There was a significant interaction of P, Al, and Mn extracted from dried soils with plant weight. This contrasted with the significant interaction of extractable P, Ca, K, and Mg with plant weight observed when soil samples were not dried before analysis.

Drying soil samples before analysis improved, rather than harmed, the ability of soil tests to predict white clover growtl responses on these soils. However, the soil tests explained only 40 percent of the variation in plant growth.     

Effect of corncob compost on plant growth in an acid red soil

Abstract

A comparison of corncob compost with lime on plant growth was studied in acid red soil with pH of 4.07. Lettuce, pea, and corn were selected as test plants for their varying tolerance to acid soil. The pot experiment compared six soil treatments and a check. Soil amendments were 1, 2, and 4 cmol calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) kg^‐1 and 5, 10, and 20 g corncob compost kg^‐1 soil. Results showed higher manganese (Mn) than aluminum (Al) content of the shoot in all check group plants. Reduced shoot Mn content increased shoot dry weight in all test plants, regardless of acid soil tolerance or soil treatment. The higher the test plant resistance to soil acidity, the weaker the detoxification effect of corncob compost was on Al uptake when compared with the check group. Liming was more effective at reducing shoot Mn content than corncob compost with the exception of the more acidity sensitive lettuce. Shoot phosphorus (P) content, however, increased with corncob compost from enhanced organic matter rates. Corncob compost treatments significantly increased shoot dry weight over liming in the acid soil. This study demonstrated an environmentally acceptable use for an agricultural waste.     

花岗岩崩岗红土层土体胀缩特性研究

为研究崩岗土体因水分变化而发生干湿胀缩的特性,采集福建省安溪县典型崩岗区的红土层土样,通过室内无荷膨胀试验和收缩试验,分析不同初始干密度(1.3,1.4,1.5 g/cm^3)、不同初始含水量(15%,20%,25%和30%)下土体的无荷膨胀率和线缩率。结果表明:当含水量较低时,初始干密度越大土体膨胀率也越大;当初始干密度相同时,土壤膨胀率随其初始含水率的增大而减小。当初始含水率相同时,土样膨胀率随其初始干密度的增大而增大。不同处理的土样收缩过程有一定差异,初始含水率高的土样线缩率大,土壤膨胀和收缩过程不一致,且均为不可逆过程。该研究结果在一定程度上揭示了土壤含水率和干密度与崩岗侵蚀之间的关系。     

Is air-drying of soil samples an appropriate step in determining plant available potassium for corn?

Potassium (K) fertilizer recommendations are mainly based on air -dried soil samples which can lead to over- or under-estimation of plant available soil K. Three on-farm trials were conducted in North Dakota and Minnesota to determine the variation of soil test-K between air-dried (K_Dry) and field moist (K_Moist) soil samples. The differences between K_Dry and K_Moist decreased exponentially as soil K increased, but increased linearly with increasing soil moisture. Soil drying influenced the plant available soil K-test value, producing higher K values compared to the moist soil K. It is unclear based on these initial experiments which method might produce a more predictable K critical value to aid in directing K application for corn in this region.