Impacts of Municipal Wastewater on The Transport Characteristics of Reactive Solutes Through Agricultural Soils

Reliable transport parameters of agrochemicals and soluble pollutants are crucial for modeling and management of soil and groundwater quality. This study investigated impacts of municipal wastewater on the transport parameters of five heavy metal/metalloid compounds (NaAsO₂, Cd(NO₃)₂, Pb(NO₃)₂, Ni(NO₃)₂ & ZnCl₂), two pesticides (cartap & carbendazim) and an inert salt (CaCl₂) in four agricultural soils of Bangladesh. Solute-breakthrough concentrations were measured in repacked soil columns with time-domain reflectometry (TDR) both before and after wastewater treatment. Transport velocity (V), dispersion coefficient (D), dispersivity (λ) and retardation factor (R) of the solutes, and pertinent soil properties were determined. Wastewater reduced bulk density (γ) of the soils (from 1.32–1.37 g/cm³ to 1.26–1.35 g/cm³) by increasing organic carbon (OC) (from 0.37%–0.84% to 0.40–0.93%), increased pore-size distribution index (n) (by 0.02 unit) and reduced soil pH (from 6.32–7.45 to 5.92–6.46). D and λ decreased while V and R increased after wastewater treatment; D decreased and R increased linearly with decreasing bulk density. The correlations of V, D, and R with n improved significantly (p < 0.05) after wastewater treatment. The correlation between λ and OC improved markedly for Ca, Pb, Ni, and cartap. The observed indicative results have practical implications in developing pedo-transfer functions for solute-transport parameters using basic soil properties, which are subject to progressive modification due to agrochemicals application and wastewater irrigation.     

Simulating short-term dynamics of non-increasing soil respiration rates by a model using Michaelis-Menten kinetics

Abstract

Short-term dynamics of soil respiration rates over time measured at hourly intervals during less than 12?h after microbial substrates were added to soils can be classified into first-order, zero-order and growth-associated types. To simulate the zero-order type respiration rates, a model using Michaelis-Menten kinetics is proposed, because this kinetics model includes a maximum respiration rate but no increase in microbial biomass. In this model, soil respiration by microorganisms was assumed to be the sum of the mineralization of easily available substrates (R), which include both added glucose (G) and substrates released by disturbance such as a mixing treatment (D) and constant mineralization under steady state conditions. By analyzing the short-term dynamics of previously published respiration rates for a Kazakh forest, a Japanese forest and a Japanese arable soils, none of which show any increase with time, the parameter values of z _r and D ₀, which indicate the ratio of respired to utilized R and the initial concentration of D, respectively, were estimated. This allowed simulation of the decreasing concentrations of R and estimation of the parameters V _max and K _M in the Michaelis-Menten equation. Simulations using the obtained parameter values matched the measured data well. Correlation coefficients (r ²) and root mean square errors (RMSE) indicated that the simulations usually matched the measured data, which included not only zero-order respiration rates but also first-order respiration rates. Therefore, the proposed model using Michaelis-Menten kinetics can be used to simulate the short-term dynamics of respiration rates, which show no increase over time, when easily available substrates would be added in soils.     

水稻群体分蘖动态模型构建与应用

为定量分析水稻群体茎蘖数量动态变化过程及分蘖动态特征,该研究使用双Logistic模型分别描述分蘖发生与死亡过程,建立水稻群体分蘖动态模型;根据水稻分蘖过程的时序特征定义描述分蘖过程的特征指标,并推导出分蘖特征指标的计算式;基于不同基因型品种、种植方式、种植时期、种植密度下水稻分蘖动态数据集检验模型优度和适应性;并应用分蘖动态模型和指标探索分蘖动态对种植密度的响应规律。结果表明,所建模型对不同基因型水稻品种在不同种植方式、种植时期和种植密度下的分蘖动态数据拟合优度较好,标准均方根误差S_RMSE服从均值小于5%的Gamma分布,并且99%的S_RMSE小于10%。基于所建模型计算的分蘖特征指标（包括模型参数）对种植密度有很好的响应;留一法检验表明模型的预测性较好,观测值与模拟值的R²=0.96。所建模型能够精确描述水稻茎蘖数量演变过程,具有很好的拟合优度、适应性和可解释性,可用于分析基因、环境、农艺措施对分蘖动态的影响,分蘖特征指标可望成为分析基因与环境互作的重要表型参数,对指导水稻精准栽培有重要理论价值和实际意义。     

Analysis of the variable charge of two organic soils by means of the NICA-Donnan model

We have tested to see if the generic set of NICA‐Donnan model parameters, used to describe isolated humic substances, can also describe soil humic substances in situ. A potentiometric back‐titration technique was used to determine the variable surface charge of two organic peat soils at three different ionic strengths. The non‐ideal, competitive‐adsorption NICA‐Donnan model was used to simulate the surface charge, by assuming a bimodal distribution of H⁺ affinity on the soil solid phase. The model provided an excellent fit to the experimental data. The Donnan volume, V_D, varied slightly with ionic strength, although the variation was less than for humic substances in solution. The values obtained for the parameters that define the affinity distributions, the intrinsic proton binding constant (log K_i^int) and the heterogeneity of the site (m_i), were similar to those observed for isolated soil humic acids. The abundance of carboxylic groups in the whole soil represented 30% of the typical value for isolated soil humic acids. The composition of the organic matter of the whole soils, obtained by ¹³C CPMAS NMR, was comparable to the characteristic composition of soil humic acids.     

Determination of chemical transport properties for different textures of undisturbed soils

Agrichemicals usually contaminate groundwater via preferential flow, therefore determination of the preferential flow characteristics of soil is needed. One model that predicts solute transport due to preferential flow is the mobile–immobile (MIM) solute-transport model, which partitions total water content (θ; m³ m^?3) into mobile (θ_m) and immobile fractions (θ_im). In undisturbed soils, a method is proposed for determining the MIM model parameters, i.e. immobile water fraction (θ_im), mass transfer coefficient (α) and hydrodynamic dispersion coefficient (D _h). Breakthrough curves were obtained for five different soil textures in three replicates, by miscible displacement of Cl^? in undisturbed soil columns. Cl^? breakthrough curves were evaluated in terms of the MIM model. Analysis suggests that the values of D _h and α increased with lighter soil textures and θ_im increased with heavier soil textures. The values of θ_im ranged from 5.31 to 14.28% in different soil textures. Furthermore, values of θ_im were found to be related to soil clay content. Values of α ranged from 0.0257 to 0.32 h^?1 and values of D _h ranged from 0.36 to 11.2 cm² h^?1 in different soil textures. A significant linear correlation was obtained between α, θ_im, D _h and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (K _s) and pore water velocity (v). A multivariate pedotransfer function was developed to estimate α, θ_im and D _h based on the geometric mean (d _g) and the standard deviation (σ_g) of the diameter of soil particles and soil organic matter content. The pedotransfer functions for D _h, θ_im and α were validated by independent data sets from other investigators.     

Isotope methods for assessing plant available phosphorus in acid tropical soils

Use of isotope methods to measure the availability of phosphorus (P) in soils that are well supplied with P is well established. We have evaluated such methods for acid tropical soils with very small P contents, which are less well studied. The isotopically exchangeable P in soil suspensions (E value) and that in plant growth experiments (L value) were measured in soils that had received varying amounts of P fertilizer in two field experiments in Colombia. We determined the E values over 4–5 weeks of equilibration allowing for the kinetics of isotope exchange. The decrease in radioactivity in the soil solution at a particular time, t, divided by that at the start (r_t/R) was described by three parameters (r₁/R, r_∞/R, and a coefficient n) derived from the time course of isotopic exchange over 100 minutes. Values of E_t were calculated either from measured values of r_t/R or those extrapolated until 12 weeks. Agrostis capillaris was grown on the same soils labelled with carrier‐free ³³P‐orthophosphate ions to obtain L values. Agreement between E values derived from measured and extrapolated values of r_t/R was satisfactory, but errors in n and r_∞/R limited the precision with which we could estimate E values. For most soils, the P concentrations in the soil solution were greater than the detection limit of the malachite green method (0.9 µg l^?1) but smaller than its quantification limit (3.6 µg l^?1). In the soils with the least available P, the P content of the seed limited the determination of the L value. The E values were strongly correlated, but not identical, with the L values measured for the same time of isotopic exchange. We conclude that these approaches are not precise enough to detect in these soils the ability of a plant to access slowly exchangeable forms of P or to quantify the mineralization of organic P. However, these isotope techniques can be used to estimate the total fraction of added fertilizer P that remains available to the plants.     

Influence of chemical properties of soils on methane emission from rice paddies

Abstract

The relationships between methane (CH₄) emission from flooded rice paddies and soil chemical properties were investigated using eight different soils in a pot experiment. Since CH₄ is produced in paddy soil microbiologically when reducing conditions are sufficiently developed, the amounts of oxidizing agents including free iron (Fe)(III), amorphous Fe(III), easily reducible manganese (Mn), nitrate (NO₃ ^‐), and sulfate (SO₄ ^2‐), and indexes of reducing agents including total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and easily decomposable C, were measured as possible decreasing and increasing factors in CH₄ emission. The seasonal variations in CH₄ emission rates were similar in pattern among the soils used. However, the amount of emitted CH₄ varied largely, with the maximum total CH₄ emission (from a brown lowland soil, 1,535 mg pot^‐1) being 3.8 times that of the minimum (from a gley soil, 409 mg pot^‐1). No correlation was found between the total CH₄ emission and any single factor investigated. However, a statistically significant equation was found through multiple regression analysis: r=‐2.24x10² a+2.88b+6.20x10²; r ²=0.821; P<0.01; where Y is the amount of emitted CH₄ (mg pot^‐1), a is the amount of amorphous Fe(III) (mg pot^‐1), b is the amount of easily decomposable C (mg pot^‐1), and r ² is a multiple correlation coefficient adjusted for the degree of freedom. The amendment of ferric hydroxide [Fe(OH)₃] to a gray lowland soil significantly decreased the CH₄ emission from 1,099 to 592 mg pot^‐1. This measured amount agreed well with that estimated from the above equation, 554 mg pot^‐1.     

贺兰山东麓不同种植年限酿酒葡萄林生物量分配及估算模型

通过对贺兰山东麓同一立地类型不同种植年限的人工酿酒葡萄林形态指标和生物量的测定,研究了葡萄林生物量随时间的分配格局,同时利用主要构件形态指标与各构件生物量建立了生物量估测模型。结果表明:1)供试林地葡萄树株高(H)、主蔓长(SH)、新梢长(YSH)、分枝数(BN)及茎粗(D)均基本上随林龄增加而逐渐增大。2)葡萄林各构件生物量随林分年龄的增加而增加。3)葡萄树地上部各构件生物量分配表现如下,1~4 a林分为叶生物量>新梢生物量>主蔓生物量,4~12 a林分为主蔓生物量>新梢生物量>叶生物量,2~12 a林分为地上生物量>地下生物量。4)以茎粗与株高结合的D2H作为自变量建立模型,各组分生物量最优估测模型均为幂函数W=a×(D2H)b(其中,W为生物量,D2H为茎粗D2与株高H的乘积,a和b为估测参数):叶生物量与D2H拟合模型为W=12.909×(D2H)0.825 9(R2=0.849 9,P=0.000),主蔓生物量与D2H拟合模型为W=3.963 4×(D2H)1.344 9(R2=0.938 1,P=0.000),新梢生物量与D2H拟合模型为W=6.190 6×(D2H)1.051 7(R2=0.804 7,P=0.000),地上生物量与D2H拟合模型为W=23.017×(D2H)1.076 6(R2=0.938 5,P=0.000),地下生物量与D2H拟合模型为W=27.126×(D2H)0.689(R2=0.892 4,P=0.000)。各预测模型精确度较高。     

Spectral assessments of phenotypic differences in spike development during grain filling affected by varying N supply in wheat

Single plant traits such as green biomass, spike dry weight, biomass, and nitrogen (N) transfer to grains are important traits for final grain yield. However, methods to assess these traits are laborious and expensive. Spectral reflectance measurements allow researchers to assess cultivar differences of yield‐related plant traits and translocation parameters that are affected by varying amounts of available N. In a field experiment, six high‐yielding wheat cultivars were grown with N supplies of 0, 100, 160, and 220 kg N ha^–1. Wheat canopies were observed spectrally throughout the grain‐filling period, and three spectral parameters were calculated. To describe the development of the vegetative plant parts (leaves + culms) and the spikes, plants were sampled four times during grain filling. Dry weights and the relative dry‐matter content were recorded for leaves + culms and spikes. The N status of the plants was assessed by measuring the total N concentration and by calculating the aboveground N uptake. Good correlations were found between spectral indices and single plant traits throughout grain filling but varied with N supply and development stage. The normalized difference vegetation index, NDVI, was strongly affected by the saturation effects of increased N concentration. The red‐edge inflection point, REIP, predicted plant traits with r² values up to 0.98. However, in plants with advanced senescence, the REIP was less efficient in describing plant traits. The NIR‐based index R₇₆₀/R₇₃₀ was closely related to yield‐related plant traits at early grain filling. Compared to the REIP, the R₇₆₀/R₇₃₀ index was resistant to strong chlorophyll decays being able to predict plant traits at late grain filling, with r² values of up to 0.92. Spectral reflectance measurements may represent a promising tool to assess phenotypic differences in yield‐related plant traits during grain filling.     

Dough Strain Hardening Properties as Indicators of Baking Performance

Bread loaf volume is an important economic criterion. Breeders, millers, and bakers need measurements allowing them to evaluate dough performance during processing. Strain hardening is an important dough property. It describes the stability of the gas cell walls and the ability of cells to expand further; therefore, the higher the strain hardening index (n), the better the baking performance. Dough exhibits strain hardening during uniaxial extensibility tests. However, obtaining n from an extensibility test is time consuming. The objectives of this study were to identify the extensibility parameters that contribute to n. Three parameters were retained in the model (R² = 0.90): dough strength (R_max), extensional delay (E_Diff), and initial slope of the curve (E_i). R_max was the largest contributor and was proportional to the dough strain hardening properties. E_Diff and E_i had a detrimental effect on n. The appropriateness of the model was validated with two sample sets (19 genotypes, 12 environments). Significant correlations were found between loaf volume and n (r = 0.52–0.64) for 7 of the 12 environments. The strain hardening index was found to be a good predictor for baking performance as judged by loaf volume.     

Relationships of Free Lipids with Quality Factors in Hard Winter Wheat Flours

Hard winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flours (n = 72) were analyzed for free lipids (FL) and their relationships with quality parameters. The two main glycolipid (GL) classes showed contrary simple linear correlations (r) with quality parameters. Specifically, kernel hardness parameters, flour yields, and water absorptions had significant negative correlations with monogalactosyldiglycerides (MGDG) but positive correlations with digalactosyldiglycerides (DGDG). MGDG showed negative correlations with gluten content but positive correlations with gluten index. The percentages of DGDG in FL had significant positive correlations among cultivars (n = 12) with mixograph and bake mix times (r = 0.71, P < 0.01 and r = 0.67, P < 0.05, respectively), mixing tolerance (r = 0.67, P < 0.05), and bread crumb grain score (r = 0.71, P < 0.01). These results suggest that increasing DGDG in FL could contribute to enhancing wheat quality attributes including milling, dough mixing, and breadmaking quality characteristics. FL content and composition (ratio of MGDG or DGDG to GL) supplement flour protein content to develop prediction equations of mixograph mix time (R² = 0.89), bake mix time (R² = 0.76), and loaf volume (R² = 0.72).     

库布齐沙地滴灌人工林土壤水分运移及其与土壤分形特征的关系

【目的】探究库布齐沙地人工林滴灌下土壤水分运移规律以及其与土壤分形特征的关系,以期为人工林滴灌策略制定提供参考。【方法】以典型人工林为研究对象,基于激光粒度衍射法测得土壤粒径分布并计算单重及多重分形维数,通过大田试验明确灌水及水分再分布过程湿润锋动态变化规律,并采用通径和冗余分析等手段探究湿润锋运移与分形特征的联系。【结果】1)库布齐沙地滴灌人工林湿润锋水平及垂向运移可分别用对数函数(R2=0.941~0.990)和幂函数(R2=0.958~0.996)描述；2)砂粒含量高于70%、黏粒低于2.5%土壤条件下,利用粉粒、黏粒含量构建的多元回归模型能较好地计算停灌后二维水分运移距离(R²=0.839~1.0),但对停灌前适用性较差(R2=0.243~0.403)；3)单重分形维数D和信息维数D1、信息维数/容量维数D1/D0、关联维数D2均与砂粉比呈负相关,而滴灌形成的湿润体体积与砂粉比正相关,且D较D0、D1、D1/D0、D2更能解释土壤砂粉比差异对湿润锋运移的影响。【结论】滴灌下人工林水分运移满足函数定量关系,砂粒占比高于70%且黏粒低于2.5%时,土壤质地越粗则湿润体体积越大,可在灌溉策略制定时进行土壤粒径分析,节约决策成本。与库布齐沙地相似环境条件下,滴灌时长6h流量3.0L.h-1时,速生杨和榆树林在停灌后48h需启动下次灌溉,沙柳和旱柳林则不需要。     

Effects of soil flooding and organic matter addition on plant accessible phosphorus in a tropical paddy soil: an isotope dilution study

Plant growth experiments were conducted to reveal the mechanism by which organic matter (OM) and soil flooding enhance phosphorus (P) bioavailability for rice. It was postulated that reductive dissolution of iron‐(III) [Fe(III)] oxyhydroxides in soil releases occluded phosphate ions (PO₄), i.e., PO₄ that is not isotopically exchangeable in the original soil prior to flooding. Rice was grown in P‐deficient soil treated with factorial combinations of addition of mineral P (0, 50 mg P kg^?1), OM (0, ≈ 20.5 g OM kg^?1 as cattle manure +/– rice straw) and water treatments (flooded vs. non‐flooded). The OM was either freshly added just before flooding or incubated moist in soil for 6 months prior to flooding; nitrogen and potassium were added in all treatments. The soil exchangeable P was labeled with ³³PO₄ prior to flooding. The plant accessible P in soil, the so‐called L‐value, was determined from the ³³P/³¹P ratio in the plants. The L‐values were inconsistently affected by flooding in contrast with the starting hypothesis. The OM and P addition to soil clearly increased the L‐value and, surprisingly, the increase due to OM application was larger than the total P addition to soil. An additional isotope exchange study in a soil extract (E‐value) at the end of the experiment showed that the E‐value increased less than the total P addition with OM. This suggests that plants preferentially take up unlabeled P from the OM in the rhizosphere compared to labeled labile inorganic P. The effects of soil flooding on P bioavailability is unlikely related to an increase of the quantity of bio‐accessible P in soil (L‐value) but is likely explained by differences in P mobility in soil.     

Relationship Between Objective and Subjective Wheat Flour Tortilla Quality Evaluation Methods

Accurate determination of tortilla quality is imperative because of the growing market. This calls for quality tests that are replicable. However, current tortilla quality testing relies heavily on subjective tests with unknown reliability. This study aimed to determine the relationship between subjective tortilla quality testing and available objective methods, and assess whether the latter can potentially replace the former. Correlation and regression analyses were done using data on subjective opacity and rollability, and objective L* value and texture parameters based on 114 wheat samples. Opacity scores and L* values were significantly correlated, but this relationship was affected by evaluator experience; in a controlled setting, experienced evaluators scores were more reliable (SEM = ±0.25 – 3.8, r = 0.96) than less experienced evaluators (SEM = ±0.25 – 7.3, r = 0.92). Tortilla rollability, which approximates shelf stability, correlated most strongly with the rupture distance from two‐dimensional extensibility test (r = 0.77). Subjective rollability at day 16 of storage was predicted by rupture distance (day 0) and work (day 4) (R² = 0.69). Adding rupture force to the model slightly improves the R² to 0.72. Objective color and texture parameter measurements have a potential to replace the subjective tests as primary methods for tortilla quality.     

Effects of Litter and Fine Root Composition on Their Decomposition in a Rhodic Paleustalf under Different Land Uses

Abstract

Plant litter and fine roots are important in maintaining soil organic carbon (C) levels as well as for nutrient cycling. The decomposition of surface‐placed litter and fine roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum), lucerne (Medicago sativa), buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris), and mulga (Acacia aneura), placed at 10‐cm and 30‐cm depths, was studied in the field in a Rhodic Paleustalf. After 2 years, ≤10% of wheat and lucerne roots and ≥60% of mulga roots and twigs remained undecomposed. The rate of decomposition varied from 4.2 year^?1 for wheat roots to 0.22 year^?1 for mulga twigs, which was significantly correlated with the lignin concentration of both tops and roots. Aryl+O‐aryl C concentration, as measured by ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, was also significantly correlated with the decomposition parameters, although with a lower R ² value than the lignin concentration. Thus, lignin concentration provides a good predictor of litter and fine root decomposition in the field.     

陕北黄土丘陵山地枣树生物量模型

[目的]探索一种在不损伤枣树条件下估算枣树生物量的方法,为研究灌溉施肥与枣树生长关系提供技术支撑。[方法]在大量实际测定调查数据的基础上,用线性和非线性生物量模型分别对枣树枝条、枣吊、叶片及果实的生物量进行建模,以相关系数R2,拟合指数W,标准误SEE,变异系数CV和预估精度p作为模型的精度评价指标,对模型进行了检验,并对两类模型进行了对比分析。[结果]线性模型适用于枝条生物量的预测,R2为0.980~0.984,p介于0.909~0.926;叶片生物量和枣吊生物量的最优模型为非线性模型,R2介于0.880~0.943,p介于0.897~0.976;果实生物量最优模型为二元非线性模型,R2为0.999,p为0.998;枝条、叶片和枣吊的鲜重与干重的比例系数分别为2.085,2.854和2.675;单个枣吊长度和枣吊上的叶片数目呈现出良好的一元线性关系,R2达到0.88。[结论]本研究中使用的枣树生物量模型的模拟精度较高。     

Solvent Retention Capacity Values in Relation to Hard Winter Wheat and Flour Properties and Straight‐Dough Breadmaking Quality

Solvent retention capacity (SRC) was investigated in assessing the end use quality of hard winter wheat (HWW). The four SRC values of 116 HWW flours were determined using 5% lactic acid, 50% sucrose, 5% sodium carbonate, and distilled water. The SRC values were greatly affected by wheat and flour protein contents, and showed significant linear correlations with 1,000‐kernel weight and single kernel weight, size, and hardness. The 5% lactic acid SRC value showed the highest correlation (r = 0.83, P < 0.0001) with straight‐dough bread volume, followed by 50% sucrose, and least by distilled water. We found that the 5% lactic acid SRC value differentiated the quality of protein relating to loaf volume. When we selected a set of flours that had a narrow range of protein content of 12–13% (n = 37) from the 116 flours, flour protein content was not significantly correlated with loaf volume. The 5% lactic acid SRC value, however, showed a significant correlation (r = 0.84, P < 0.0001) with loaf volume. The 5% lactic acid SRC value was significantly correlated with SDS‐sedimentation volume (r = 0.83, P < 0.0001). The SDS‐sedimentation test showed a similar capability to 5% lactic acid SRC, correlating significantly with loaf volume for flours with similar protein content (r = 0.72, P < 0.0001). Prediction models for loaf volume were derived from a series of wheat and flour quality parameters. The inclusion of 5% lactic acid SRC values in the prediction model improved R² = 0.778 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 57.2 from R² = 0.609 and RMSE = 75.6, respectively, from the prediction model developed with the single kernel characterization system (SKCS) and near‐infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy data. The prediction models were tested with three validation sets with different protein ranges and confirmed that the 5% lactic acid SRC test is valuable in predicting the loaf volume of bread from a HWW flour, especially for flours with similar protein contents.     

Measurement of Wheat Starch Granule Size Distribution Using Image Analysis and Laser Diffraction Technology

Starch was isolated from flour of four wheats representing hard red winter (Karl), hard red spring (Gunner), durum (Belfield 3), and spelt (WK 86035‐8) wheat classes. Digital image analysis (IA) coupled with light microscopy was used to determine starch size distributions where the volume of granules was calculated as spherical particles or oblate spheroids. Starch granules were classified into three size ranges: A‐type granules (> 15 μm), B‐type granules (5–15 μm), and C‐type granules (<5 μm). An error was noted in using digital image analysis because the perimeter of some granules touch the edge (PTE) of the field being analyzed. To correct for this error, the PTE granules were manually replaced into the field by measuring their diameters and entering them into the database. The results showed differences in the starch size distributions between the classes of wheat evaluated, as well as the method of analysis. Four laser diffraction sizing (LDS) instruments were used to measure granule distributions of the four classes of wheat. LDS compared with IA resulted in a ≈40% underestimation of the A‐type granule diameter and a ≈50% underestimation of the B‐type granule diameter. A correction factor (adjustment) was developed from IA data to correct LDS analysis. LDS data correlations before adjustments to IA data were R² = 0.02^ns to 0.55***. After adjustment, these correlations improved to R² = 0.81*** to 0.93*** depending on the class of wheat starch evaluated.     

Effects of long-term mineral fertilization on microbial biomass,microbial activity,and the presence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">r</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">K</Emphasis>-strategists in soil

Long-term effects of mineral fertilization on microbial biomass C (MBC), basal respiration (R _B), substrate-induced respiration (R _S), β-glucosidase activity, and the r–K-growth strategy of soil microflora were investigated using a field trial on grassland established in 1969. The experimental plots were fertilized at three rates of mineral N (0, 80, and 160 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) with 32 kg P ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 100 kg K ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. No fertilizer was applied on the control plots (C). The application of a mineral fertilizer led to lower values of the MBC and R _B, probably as a result of fast mineralization of available substrate after an input of the mineral fertilizer. The application of mineral N decreased the content of C extracted by 0.5 M K₂SO₄ (C _ex). A positive correlation was found between pH and the proportion of active microflora (R _S/MBC). The specific growth rate (μ) of soil heterotrophs was higher in the fertilized than in unfertilized soils, suggesting the stimulation of r-strategists, probably as the result of the presence of available P and rhizodepositions. The cessation of fertilization with 320 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ (NF) in 1989 also stimulated r-strategists compared to C soil, probably as the result of the higher content of available P in the NF soil than in the C soil.