土壤养分空间异质性与根系觅食作用:从个体到群落

土壤中分布着许多大小不一的养分富集区域（也称之为养分斑块）。植物为了适应环境最大限度的获取资源,会对这些养分斑块做出形态及生理上的响应。当根系接触到这些富集养分的区域就会大量的增生,尤其是比根长较大的细根,并且根系对养分的生理吸收能力也强于养分富集区域以外的根系。养分斑块的属性（大小、强度、组成和位置等）和植物体本身的属性（敏感性和觅食能力等）共同决定了养分空间异质性对于植物体生长的影响。由于不同物种的根系对于养分斑块的可塑性和养分斑块的属性的差异及植物根系接触到养分斑块的时间和规模的不同会加剧种间或种内的竞争强度;先接触到养分斑块的植物根系可能在其他植物的根系到达之前将养分斑块内部的养分大部分吸收或耗尽,从而引起根系间的不对称性竞争。养分空间异质性造成的群体内部竞争强度的增加甚至不对称性会引起群体内植株大小变异性的增加,从而进一步影响群体结构。同时养分空间异质性对根系竞争的影响也会改变群落内部物种的多样性及整个体系的生产力,这与群落内物种之间觅食精度及竞争力的差异有关;觅食能力较强的物种可能会高效整合并占据大量的小养分斑块从而提高自身生长,进而降低了小养分斑块对群落物种丰度的正效应。     

Response of cotton root growth and yield to root restriction under various water and nitrogen regimes

Water and nitrogen (N) are two major factors limiting cotton growth and yield. The ability of plants to absorb water and nutrients is closely related to the size of the root system and the rooting space. Better understanding of the physiological mechanisms by which cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) adapts to water and N supply when rooting volume is restricted would be useful for improving cotton yield. In this study, cotton was grown in soil columns to control rooting depth to either 60 cm (root‐restriction treatment) or 120 cm (no‐root‐restriction treatment). Four water–N combinations were applied to the plants: (1) deficit irrigation and no N fertilizer (W₀N₀), (2) deficit irrigation and moderate N fertilizer rate (W₀N₁), (3) moderate irrigation and no N fertilizer (W₁N₀), and (4) moderate irrigation and moderate N fertilizer rate (W₁N₁). Results revealed that root restriction reduced root length density (RLD), root volume density (RVD), root mass density (RMD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, nitrate reductase (NR) activity, total plant biomass, and root : shoot ratio. In contrast, root restriction increased aboveground biomass and yield. The RLD, RVD, RMD, and root : shoot ratio decreased in the order W₀N₀ > W₁N₀ > W₀N₁ > W₁N₁ in both the root‐restriction and no‐root‐restriction treatments. However, the opposite order (i.e., W₁N₁ > W₀N₁ > W₁N₀ > W₀N₀) was observed for SOD activity, NR activity, aboveground biomass, and seed yield. Our results suggest that, when N and water supplies are adequate, root restriction increases both root activity and the availability of photosynthates to aboveground plant parts. This increases shoot growth, the shoot : root ratio, and yield.     

Coronatine‐induced lateral‐root formation in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) seedlings under potassium‐sufficient and ‐deficient conditions in relation to auxin

A large root system plays a decisive role in potassium (K)‐acquisition efficiency of cotton. Coronatine (COR), a non‐host‐specific phytotoxin, may affect the auxin level in plants and might therefore be useful in regulating lateral‐root (LR) development. Our objectives were (1) to examine the effects of COR on root development, especially the LR formation in hydroponically grown cotton seedlings, and (2) to explore possible mechanisms involved. The results showed that K deficiency (0.05 mM) significantly reduced LR formation in cotton seedlings, possibly due to the decrease of endogenous indole acetic acid (IAA) in roots by more than half. Following the application of 10 nM COR, the LRs significantly increased by 26% in K‐sufficient (0.5 mM) solution and by 95% in K‐deficient solution. Although COR did not increase the free IAA level in the primary root, the polar auxin‐transport inhibitor N‐1‐naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) decreased its stimulating effects on LR formation by 25%–30%, suggesting that the COR‐induced LR formation was independent of increased auxin level but likely associated with auxin transport. Treatment of plants with 1‐naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) increased LR formation at NAA concentrations of 100 nM, but had no effect at 10 nM. In the presence of 1 nM COR, however, NAA increased LR formation at 10 nM concentrations. This indicates that LR formation due to COR possibly involves changes in auxin sensitivity. In addition, the shorter LRs of COR‐treated seedlings were clearly restored when COR was removed from solutions for 12 d, and the total root length, total root surface area as well as K uptake increased significantly, suggesting that COR may be potentially useful for enhancing the K‐acquisition efficiency of cotton seedlings.     

Root hairs and the acquisition of plant nutrients from soil

The literature on the role of root hairs when plants acquire mineral nutrients from soil is reviewed. After a short outline of the root properties affecting the acquisition of nutrients, the roles of root hairs are discussed in four sections, entitled: morphological properties of root hairs, mode of action of root hairs, factors affecting the formation of root hairs, and relationship between root hair formation and plant nutrient uptake. The formation of root hairs depends on both genetic and environmental factors, particularly the supply of phosphate and nitrate. It is concluded that root hairs may substantially contribute to the acquisition of nutrients, mainly those of low mobility in soil and high demand in plants. The percentage of a nutrient acquired by root hairs varies widely, from almost zero to approximately 80 % of the total uptake of the nutrient. The contribution of root hairs depends on plant species and the genetic variability of root hair formation on the one hand, and the kind of nutrient and its availability in soil on the other. According to the published reports, essentially only phosphorus and potassium were considered.     

Effect of AM fungi and phosphorus fertilization on P-use efficiency,nutrient acquisition and root morphology in pea (Pisum sativum L.) in an acid Alfisol

Phosphorus (P) availability to plants is a major constraint in acid soils. A study was conducted to determine the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) under varying inorganic P and irrigation regimes on P availability and P-use efficiency in garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) in a Himalayan acid Alfisol. The experiment comprised of 14 treatments replicated thrice in a randomized block design. The results revealed that integrated use of AM fungi and inorganic P at either of the two irrigation regimes (IW/CPE_0.6 or IW/CPE_1.0) enhanced the green pea pod weight, green pod productivity and agronomic efficiency of applied P to the extent of 8.4%, 7.2% and 30.7%, respectively, over non-AMF counterparts as well as “generalized recommended NPK dose and irrigations (GRD).” AMF inoculation also led to enhanced nitrogen (N), P and potassium (K) acquisition (uptake) by 16.3%, 18.2% and 6% over non-AMF counterpart treatments. Further, AMF inoculation at varying P and irrigation regimes sharply enhanced the rooting depth (21.4%), root volume (23.5%), root dry weight (14.9%), root weight density (13.7%) as well as N concentration in root nodules (3.4%) over non-AMF counterparts and GRD practice. AMF also enhanced the mycorrhizal root colonization by 3.2 folds at flowering stage in AMF inoculated pea plants. AMF-imbedded treatments did not alter the available soil nutrient status (macronutrients and micronutrients) significantly in comparison to non-AMF counterparts in pea, available P status, however, increased to the extent of 6.5% over initial status. Further, AMF imbedded plots showed a slight build-up in soil organic carbon with nominal decrease in soil bulk density. AMF inoculation in pea also led to fertilizer P economy by about 25% soil-test-based P dose. Overall, AMF holds great potential in enhancing nutrient acquisition especially P besides influencing root morphology in order to harness better crop yields vis-à-vis fertilizer P economy by about 25% soil-test-based P dose in Himalayan acid Alfisol.     

水、氮供应和土壤空间所引起的根系生理特性变化

在限制根系生长的胁迫条件下.,研究了补充和不补充供应水、氮对玉米根系生理特性及养分吸收的影响。结果表明.,正常生长条件下.,水、氮供应促进了根系生长.,增加了根系吸收总面积、活跃吸收面积和TTC还原量.,促进了根系对养分的吸收.,从而提高了产量.;限制根系生长.,水分的作用与正常条件下相同.,氮素的作用则受控于土壤水分。补充灌水增强了氮肥作用.,供氮促进了根系生长.,改善了根系生理特性.,减少了限制根系生长所引起的不良影响.;不补充灌水限制了氮肥作用的发挥.,供氮导致了根系生物量和生理特性下降.,加重了限制根系生长的不良影响。     

A quantitative analysis of the relationships between root distribution and nitrogen uptake from soil by two grass species

Two grass species, Holcus lanatus and Deschampsia flexuosa, were grown in soil containing available nitrogen at 4 μg g^?1 (‘Low N’) or 58 μg g^?1 (‘High N’), in a controlled environment. Water was supplied via an auto-irrigation system, which also minimized the vertical redistribution of soil nutrients, particularly NO₃^?. Growth, root morphology and distribution, and N uptake were measured during a 70-day period. H. lanatus produced more dry matter than D.flexuosa in the high N treatment. Yields were similar in both species in the low N treatment. The growth of H. lanatus in the low N treatment was not limited by a complete exhaustion of soil N. Root density of H. lanatus was likely to have been inadequate to allow this species to attain its maximum potential N-inflow rate. Thus, N uptake per plant and dry matter production were restricted. The growth of D.flexuosa was not limited by the low N treatment, compared with that in the high N treatment. This was attributed to its low maximum potential relative growth rate and, hence, its low demand for N compared with H. lanatus, rather than to any major ‘compensatory’ adjustments in root morphology or N absorption efficiency.     

Relation between the amounts of Ca,Mg, and k extracted from organic soils and their concentration in onion and alfalfa tissue

Abstract

The objective of this work was to appraise the double acid (0.05N HCl+0.025N H₂SO₄) extraction agent for assessing the availability of Ca, Mg, and K in organic soils. The evaluation was done by determining the relation and interactions between the concentrations of Ca, Mg and K extracted from soils and those found in onion and alfalfa tissues.

The extraction procedure was found to give good relations (r ≥ 0.848^**) between the concentrations of Ca and Mg extracted from soils and those present in onion and alfalfa tissues, though interactions between the amounts of Ca and Mg extracted from soils were found.

A differentiation among soils was found upon relating the amounts of soil extracted K to its concentration in onion and alfalfa tissues. Soil extracted K was shown to be related to its preponderance (K x 100/K Ca Mg) over other extracted bases (r = 0.975^**). A critical preponderance of 11% K was identified for alfalfa. The critical preponderance of K in crops appraises some of the interactions among available soil cations and, consequently, is suggested as an improved approach for predicting crop response to potassium fertilization.     

Reciprocal adjustments between landforms and living organisms: Extended geomorphic evolutionary insights

Whilst biological organisms adapt to the environment, earth surface processes and landforms evolve as a result of physicochemical processes, and as the result of the activity of certain living organisms defined as ‘ecosystem engineers’. The importance of long- and short-term impacts on geomorphic structures and processes by ecosystem engineers appears to be underestimated. Recent recognition of complex abiotic–biotic feedbacks in nature has resulted in a convergence of approaches in ecology and geomorphology. Present biogeomorphic knowledge supports the hypothesis that abiotic–biotic feedbacks create characteristic modulated patterns of earth surface landforms, adjusting according to biological evolution in the long term and to ecological succession in the short term. In this context, natural selection of organisms and ecological successions are considered to have the potential, in some cases, for extension to the physical world, including earth surface landforms. This perspective aims to contribute to the disruption of the ‘classical’ dichotomy between abiotic–biotic compartments because it emphasizes reciprocal adjustments (i.e., feedback mechanisms) between living organisms and abiotic environment dynamics. The extended evolutionary perspective, that is intended to feed back to ecology and evolutionary biology, indicates the potential for change in our deep understanding of geomorphology to reflect evolutionary and ecological succession theories.     

云南保山市植烟土壤养分状况与烤烟化学成分相关分析

采用描述统计和典型相关分析方法研究了保山烤烟化学成分与土壤养分状况之间的关系,结果表明:①保山土壤养分含量总体处于富足状态,但土壤养分不均匀,微量元素硼和氯含量较低,烟叶的总糖和还原糖含量较高,烟碱和总氮含量适中,钾、氯含量偏低;②在一定范围内土壤中碱解氮和有效硼含量与烟碱、总氮含量存在显著或极显著正相关,有效磷和有效镁含量与烟叶还原糖、钾氯比、糖碱比和氮碱比呈显著或极显著正相关;③控施氮肥,增施磷肥,提高烟株对土壤中钾的利用率,适当增施微肥,有利于提高保山烟叶的质量。     

Integrated analysis reveals an association between the rhizosphere microbiome and root rot of arecanut palm

The rhizosphere microbial community is crucial to plant health. Many studies have explored the association between the rhizosphere microbiome and plant disease. However, few studies have focused on root rot in arecanut palm, a disease causing devastating effects and thus resulting in economic losses that considerably affect the development of the arecanut industry. Here, rhizosphere samples were collected from both healthy arecanut palm plants and root-rotted arecanut palm plants, and the microbial communities were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. The root-rotted samples exhibited distinct microbial community richness, diversity, and composition compared with the healthy samples, which was associated with pH according to the Mantel test. Identified potential plant pathogens, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chytridiomycota, and Mortierellomycota, were significantly enriched in the root-rotted samples. In contrast, potentially beneficial plant microbes, such as Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes, were significantly depleted in the root-rotted samples. Co-occurrence networks were constructed to further identify microbial relationships in the root-rotted samples. These findings revealed ecological imbalance among beneficial bacteria in the root-rotted samples. The present study therefore provides an integrated view of the association between the microbial community and root rot in arecanut palm.     

Rhizosphere dynamics under nitrogen‐induced root modification: The interaction of phosphorus and calcium

Optimizing root phosphorus (P) acquisition to reduce intensive fertilizer use is a crucial pathway for sustainable agriculture, particularly as P is an important plant macronutrient, often limiting in a majority of soils worldwide. Although many studies have assessed plant growth and P acquisition, few studies have investigated the interactive effects of nitrogen (N)‐induced root modification on soil P processes or the understudied effects of soil calcium (Ca) dynamics on soil P bioavailability. In this study, we investigate soil P and Ca response in the rhizosphere of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. spp. durum). Wheat grown under controlled conditions preloaded for 20 d with two N treatments [preloaded low N (1 mmol KNO₃ plant^?1) and preloaded high N (2 mmol KNO₃ plant^?1)] were transferred to rhizoboxes for 12 d [days after transfer (DAT)]. Shoot and root biomass, P and Ca concentration, and plant‐available P and extractable Ca were determined every three days (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 DAT). Significantly higher root mass (P = 0.7%), root length (P = 1.8%) and total biomass (P = 2.2%) were found at the end of the experiment but exclusively for high N preloaded wheat. This greater root biomass was associated with lower root P concentration, suggesting a dilution response, while little difference was observed in shoot P concentration over the 12 d. However, Ca accumulated in both roots and shoots under both preloading N levels. Concurrently, soil‐extractable Ca declined, and plant‐available P increased (r = –0.62; P = 0.03%), presumably due to a promoting effect of Ca uptake on soil P availability; lower soil Ca in turn increased the repulsive forces between P ions and the negatively charged soil surface, resulting in an increased P availability in the soil solution. This study contributes to the understanding of the complex interplay between multi‐nutrient dynamics within the rhizosphere.     

Interactions between mycorrhizal fungi and Collembola: effects on root structure of competing plant species

Mycorrhizal fungi influence plant nutrition and therefore likely modify competition between plants. By affecting mycorrhiza formation and nutrient availability of plants, Collembola may influence competitive interactions of plant roots. We investigated the effect of Collembola (Protaphorura fimata Gisin), a mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith), and their interaction on plant growth and root structure of two plant species, Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass) and Trifolium repens L. (white clover). In a laboratory experiment, two individuals of each plant species were grown either in monoculture or in competition to the respective other plant species. Overall, L. perenne built up more biomass than T. repens. The clover competed poorly with grass, whereas the L. perenne grew less in presence of conspecifics. In particular, presence of conspecifics in the grass and presence of grass in clover reduced shoot and root biomass, root length, number of root tips, and root volume. Collembola reduced shoot biomass in L. perenne, enhanced root length and number of root tips, but reduced root diameter and volume. The effects of Collembola on T. repens were less pronounced, but Collembola enhanced root length and number of root tips. In contrast to our hypothesis, changes in plant biomass and root structure in the presence of Collembola were not associated with a reduction in mycorrhizal formation. Presumably, Collembola affected root structure via changes in the amount of nutrients available and their spatial distribution.     

Interaction matters: Synergy between vermicompost and PGPR agents improves soil quality,crop quality and crop yield in the field

Organic amendments not only promote soil quality and plant performance directly but also facilitate the establishment of introduced microbial agents. A field experiment with a fully factorial design was conducted using three levels of vermicompost (without vermicompost, low dose of 15 Mg ha⁻¹ and high dose of 30 Mg ha⁻¹), with and without plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) to investigate their effects in a tomato – by spinach rotation system. Our results demonstrated that applying PGPR alone had no effect on soil properties and crop performance. Vermicompost enhanced the beneficial effects of PGPR on both soil and crop, with the extent of promotion depending on the dose of vermicompost and crop types. In the presence of vermicompost, PGPR significantly (P < 0.05) reduced soil carbon and nitrogen but increased soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen. PGPR also significantly increased the yield of tomato and spinach under the low dose of vermicompost, but only significantly increased tomato yield under the high dose of vermicompost. There were strongly synergistic effects between vermicompost and PGPR on crop quality, with crop nitrate concentration being significantly decreased, while the vitamin C in tomato and soluble protein in spinach was significantly increased. Our results revealed the high potential of integrating vermicompost and microbial agents to substitute for regular chemical fertilization practices.     

Soil biodegradation of maize root residues: Interaction between chemical characteristics and the presence of colonizing micro-organisms

Due to their direct contact with the soil, roots are exposed to colonizing micro-organisms that persist after the plant has died. These micro-organisms may affect intrinsic root-chemical quality and the kinetics of root residue decomposition in soil, or interact with soil micro-organisms during the decomposition process. The aims in this work were i) to determine the interactions between the presence of root-colonizing micro-organisms and root-chemical quality and ii) to quantify the effect of these micro-organisms on root decomposition. Roots were selected from six maize genotypes cultivated in the field and harvested at physiological maturity. The roots of two genotypes (F2 and F2bm1) had a higher N content, lower neutral sugars content and higher Klason lignin content than the other genotypes (F292, F292bm3, Mexxal, Colombus). Location of the root residue micro-organisms by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy revealed that F2 and F2bm1 roots were more colonized than roots of the other genotypes. Electron Dispersive X-Ray microanalyses of in situ N confirmed a higher N content in the colonizing micro-organisms than in the root cell walls. Residues of F2 and F2bm1 roots decomposed more slowly and to a lesser extent than those of the other genotypes during incubation in a silty loam soil under controlled conditions (15 °C, −80 kPa). After 49 days, 40.6% of the total C from F292 was mineralized but only 20.7% of from F2bm1. These results suggest that residue-colonizing micro-organisms decompose the cell-wall sugars to varying extents before soil decomposition thereby modifying the chemical quality of the residues and their mineralization pattern in soil. Due to their high N content, colonizing micro-organisms also impact on the total N content of root residues, reducing their C to N ratio. Gamma sterilized root residues were incubated under the same conditions as non-sterilized residues to see if micro-organisms colonizing root residues could modify the action of soil micro-organisms during decomposition. Similar C mineralization rates were observed for both non-sterilized and sterilized residues, indicating that the residue micro-organisms did not quantitatively affect the activity of soil micro-organisms.     

Organic fertilizers derived from plant materials Part I: Turnover in soil at low and moderate temperatures

The aim was to investigate different organic fertilizers derived from plant materials with respect to their nitrogen and carbon turnover in soil in comparison with organic fertilizers derived from animal‐waste products. In a 64‐day incubation study at 5°C and 15°C, the following fertilizers were used: coarse faba bean–seed meal (Vicia faba L.), coarse meals of yellow and white lupin seeds (Lupinus albus L. and Lupinus luteus L.), Phytoperls^® (waste products of maize [Zea mays L.] processing), coarse meal of castor cake (Ricinus communis L.) as a widely used organic fertilizer, and horn meal as a reference fertilizer‐derived from animal waste products. At 15°C, horn meal showed the highest apparent net N mineralization of fertilizer‐derived N, followed by castor cake and the two lupin meals. At 5°C, apparent net N mineralization of fertilizer‐derived N from horn meal and coarse meal of yellow lupin seeds was nearly identical, followed by castor‐cake meal. Net N mineralization from legume‐seed meals showed no or even a negative temperature response, at least temporarily. In contrast, the other fertilizers showed a positive temperature response of net N mineralization. The content in recalcitrant structural components and the decoupling of decomposition of N‐rich and C‐rich tissue components in time are discussed as controlling factors of fertilizer‐N turnover at low temperature. Microbial residues seem to be an important temporary sink of fertilizer‐derived C and N. Legume‐seed meals induced considerable N‐priming effects. Temperature induced differences in the decomposition of total fertilizer C, indicated by changes in the sum of cumulative CO₂‐C evolution, total K₂SO₄‐soluble organic C and microbial‐biomass C were much smaller than indicated by cumulative CO₂‐C evolution alone. Our results indicate that legume‐seed meals have the potential to replace horn meal and castor‐cake meal in organic vegetable production, especially when soil temperatures in early spring are still low.     

Soil and nutrient losses due to root crops harvesting: a case study from southwestern Iran

Although root crops are widely cultivated in Iran, little is known about soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH). We assessed the annual exported soil, soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients from 47 farms under root crops in southwestern Iran. Soil losses for garlic, potato, sugar beet, radish and beetroot were estimated as 6.27, 2.52, 2.26, 4.10 and 6.95, Mg ha^?1, respectively, which on average was of the order of soil losses by water erosion in the watershed basins of Iran. Total N, P₂O₅ and K₂O losses were estimated as 36.61, 1.10 and 31.50 kg ha^?1 and their costs as 18.24, 0.74 and 19.93 USAlthough root crops are widely cultivated in Iran, little is known about soil loss due to crop harvesting (SLCH). We assessed the annual exported soil, soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients from 47 farms under root crops in southwestern Iran. Soil losses for garlic, potato, sugar beet, radish and beetroot were estimated as 6.27, 2.52, 2.26, 4.10 and 6.95, Mg ha^?1, respectively, which on average was of the order of soil losses by water erosion in the watershed basins of Iran. Total N, P₂O₅ and K₂O losses were estimated as 36.61, 1.10 and 31.50 kg ha^?1 and their costs as 18.24, 0.74 and 19.93 US$ ha^?1, respectively. For the whole country, total soil, N, P₂O₅, K₂O and SOM losses for garlic, potato and sugar beet were estimated as 731.7 × 10³, 836, 27, 476 and 14.5 × 10³ Mg, respectively (radish and beetroot were excluded due to no reliable data on their planted areas). Correlation analysis showed no significant relationship between soil properties and SLCH (except soil moisture content for radish and clay content for beetroot). The findings indicated that the exported soil, SOM and nutrients were at such levels that SLCH should be considered in soil erosion studies.     

A method for obtaining the relationship between the amount of DNA and the fine root weight from mixtures of fine roots and soil particles

Fine root biomass can be estimated from the quantity of DNA of a target plant extracted from fine root samples using regression analysis. However, the application of this method to fine root samples mixed with soil particles (mixed samples) is difficult due to the high DNA adsorption capacity of some clay minerals. Our aim in this study was to clarify the enhancement level of the DNA extraction efficiency of an improved method, and to obtain a regression line between the amount of DNA and the root biomass from a mixed sample with similar reliability as for fine roots alone (pure root sample). We examined the amount of DNA extracted from a mixture of Zea mays L. fine roots and highly adsorbent Kanuma soil using various concentrations of a skim milk solution, which acts as an adsorption competitor for the soil particles during the DNA extraction process. The amount of DNA of Zea mays extracted from the mixed sample using 0% skim milk was lower than from the pure root sample. However, the amount of DNA extracted from the mixed sample increased with increasing concentrations of skim milk, reaching the same level as for the pure root samples and resulting in a regression line that was similar to the pure root samples. Optimal DNA extraction levels were obtained with the addition of 20?µL of a 20% skim milk solution to 30?mg of a mixed sample. We also discuss the applicability of this method to other plant species and soil types.     

Population dynamics and interactions between plant parasitic and non-parasitic nematodes: An empirical analysis

Non-linear regression models were used to estimate the effect of own and other taxa previous population levels, nitrogen application, and crop rotation on population dynamics of Mononchidae, Dorylaimidae, microbivorous (Rhabditidae), lance (Hoplolaimus galeatus), spiral (Helicotylencus dihystera), stubby root (Paratrichodorus minor), lesion (Pratylenchus zeae), and cotton root-knot (Meloigogyne incognita) nematodes using data from the Cullars rotation, which is the oldest soil fertility experiment in the Southern United States. Because field experimental data was used, a spatial component was included as populations in one plot were proved to be related to the population level of their neighbors. Own previous levels were found to be very important for all eight groups of nematodes (all groups’ current population relied heavily on its own previous population value) and all the groups had an interaction effect with at least one other group. Lesion and cotton root-knot nematodes were found to be competitive while Mononchidae, Dorylaimidae, microbivorous and lance nematodes were non-competitive. All the populations showed high seasonality patterns having lower populations during winter, to then remain steady until September–October when there is a significant increase in the population of cotton root-knot, Dorylaimidae, microbivorous, and lesion nematodes. Nitrogen had a positive effect on Mononchidae, microbivorous, spiral, and cotton root-knot nematodes. The use of clover after cotton in the rotation crop program proved to be significantly better in reducing plant parasitic nematodes compared to other treatments.     

Soil test-based nutrient balancing improved crop productivity and rural livelihoods: case study from rainfed semi-arid tropics in Andhra Pradesh,India

Widespread multinutrient deficiencies in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) are among major factors for large gaps between farmers’ current crop yields and potential yields. In this study, we adopted a stratified soil sampling method to assess soil fertility-related constraints in farmers’ fields in eight districts of Andhra Pradesh in the semi-arid tropics of India. Most of the fields across all eight districts were critical in sulfur (61%–98% deficient fields); and up to six districts each in boron (83%–98% deficient fields), zinc (50–85% deficient fields), and soil organic carbon (55–97% deficient fields). Low soil organic carbon specifically indicates nitrogen deficiency. Phosphorus deficiency was critical in three districts (60–84%) while potassium in general was adequate. Soil test-based nutrient balancing through the application of sulfur, boron, and zinc in addition to farmers’ practice of adding only nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium increased crop productivity by 8%–102%. Benefit–cost ratio (1.60–28.5) proved favourable to scale-up balanced nutrition. Better post-harvest soil health and residual benefits of sulfur, boron, and zinc up to four succeeding seasons indicated sustainability of the practice. Results showed that balanced nutrition is a way forward for sustainably improving farm productivity and livelihoods.