玉米秸秆应用和腐化对钙质苏打土改良的影响: 实验室试验研究

A laboratory lysimeter experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of forage corn (Zea mays L.) stalk application on the CO₂ concentration in soil air and calcareous sodic soil reclamation. The experimental treatments tested were soil exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) levels of 1, 11, and 19, added corn stalk contents of 0 to 36 g kg^-1, and incubation durations of 30 and 60 days. The experimental results indicated that corn stalk application and incubation significantly increased CO₂ partial pressure in soil profile and lowered pH value in soil solution, subsequently increased native CaCO₃ mineral dissolution and electrolyte concentration of soil solution, and finally significantly contributed to reduction on soil sodicity level. The reclamation effciency of calcareous sodic soils increased with the added corn stalk. When corn stalks were added at the rates of 22 and 34 g kg^-1 into the soil with initial ESP of 19, its ESP value was decreased by 56% and 78%, respectively, after incubation of 60 days and the leaching of 6.5 pore volumes (about 48 L of percolation water) with distilled water. Therefore, crop stalk application and incubation could be used as a choice to reclaim moderate calcareous sodic soils or as a supplement of phytoremediation to improve reclamation effciency.     

Carbon dioxide evolution from wheat and lentil residues as affected by grinding,added nitrogen,and the absence of soil

Summary A study was conducted to determine the effects of grinding, added N, and the absence of soil on C mineralization from agricultural plant residues with a high C:N ratio. The evolution of CO₂ from ground and unground wheat straw, lentil straw, and lentil green manure, with C:N ratios of 80, 36, and 9, respectively, was determined over a period of 98 days. Treatments with added N were included with the wheat and lentil straw. Although the CO₂ evolution was initially much faster from the lentil green manure than from the lentil or wheat straw, by 98 days similar amounts of CO₂ had evolved from all residues incubated in soil with no added N. Incubation of plant residues in the absence of soil had little effect on CO₂ evolution from the lentil green manure or lentil straw but strongly reduced CO₂ evolution from the wheat straw. Grinding did not affect CO₂ evolution from the lentil green manure but increased CO₂ evolution from the lentil straw with no added N and from the wheat straw. The addition of N increased the rate of CO₂ evolution from ground wheat straw between days 4 and 14 but not from unground wheat straw, and only slightly increased the rate of CO₂ evolution from lentil straw during the initial decomposition. Over 98 days, the added N reduced the amounts of CO₂ evolved from both lentil and wheat straw, due to reduced rates of CO₂ evolution after ca. 17 days. The lack of an N response during the early stages of decomposition may be attributed to the low C:N ratio of the soluble straw component and to microbial adaptations to an N deficiency, while the inhibitory effect of N on CO₂ evolution during the later stages of decomposition may be attributed to effects of high mineral N concentrations on lignocellulolytic microorganisms and enzymes.     

Emissions of CH4, CO2, and N2O from soil at a cattle overwintering area as affected by available C and N

Relationships between CH₄, CO₂, and N₂O emissions were studied in soil that had been freshly amended with large deposits of cattle wastes. Dynamics of CH₄, CO₂, and N₂O emissions were investigated with flux chambers from early April to late June 2011, during the 3 months following cattle overwintering at the site. This 81-day field study was supplemented with soil analyses of available C and N content and measurement of denitrification activity. In a more detailed field investigation, the daily time course of emissions was determined. The field research was complemented with a laboratory experiment that focused on the short-term time course of N₂O and CH₄ production in artificially created anoxic soil microsites. The following hypotheses were tested: (i) a large input of C (and N and other nutrients) in cattle manure creates conditions suitable for methanogenesis, and therefore overwintering areas can produce large amounts of CH₄; (ii) N₂O is produced and emitted until the level of mineral N decreases, while the level of CH₄ production is low; and (iii) production of CH₄ is greater when N immobilization decreases the level of NO₃⁻ in soil. N₂O emissions were relatively large during the first 3 weeks, then peaked (at ca. 4000 μg N₂ON m⁻² h⁻¹) and soon decreased to almost zero; the changes were related to the mineral and soluble organic N content in soil. CH₄ fluxes were large, though variable, in the first 2 months (600–3000 μg CH₄C m⁻² h⁻¹) and were independent of C and N availability. Although time courses differed for CH₄ and N₂O, a negative relationship between N₂O and CH₄ emissions was not detected. Contrary to CH₄ and N₂O fluxes, CO₂ emissions progressively increased to ca. 300 mg CO₂C m⁻² h⁻¹ at the end of the field study and were closely related to air and soil temperatures. Diurnal measurements revealed significant correlations between temperature and emissions of CH₄, N₂O, and CO₂. Addition of C to soil during anaerobic incubation increased the production and consumption of N₂O and supported the emission of CH₄. The results suggest that rapid denitrification significantly contributes to the exhaustion of oxidizing agents and helps create microsites supporting methanogenesis in otherwise N₂O-producing upland soil. The results also indicate that accurate estimate of gas fluxes in animal-impacted grassland areas requires assessment of both diurnal and long-term changes in CH₄, CO₂, and N₂O emissions.     

Soil structures produced by tillage as affected by soil water content and the physical quality of soil

Tillage experiments were carried out in order to study the effect of water content on the aggregate size distribution produced by tillage, and to investigate the relationship between the soil structures produced by tillage and Dexter's index of soil physical quality, S. Tillage with a mouldboard plough was done on four different soils over a range of naturally occurring water contents. The aggregate size distribution and the specific surface area produced by tillage were obtained by sieving. We define the optimum water content for tillage, θ_OPT, as the water content at which the specific surface area of the aggregates produced is maximum. This is consistent with the water content at which the amount of small aggregates produced is greatest and the proportion of clods produced is smallest. For the four investigated soils, θ_OPT was found to be close to the water content at the inflection point of the water retention curve, and in the vicinity of 0.8θ_PL (where θ_PL is the lower plastic limit). At water contents either lower or higher than θ_OPT, the specific surface area produced was smaller. The specific surface area produced at θ_OPT was found to be strongly correlated with the index of soil physical quality, S. The specific surface area produced is larger the greater S, i.e. the better the soil physical quality. Consistently, the proportion of small aggregates produced at θ_OPT is larger and the proportion of clods produced at θ_OPT smaller, the greater S. No clods (>50 mm) are produced on soils with good physical quality.     

Participatory landrace selection for on-farm conservation: An example from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico

On-farm conservation is recognized as a key component of a comprehensive strategy to conserve crop genetic resources. A fundamental problem faced by any on-farm conservation project is the identification of crop populations on which efforts should be focused. This paper describes a method to identify a subset of landraces for further conservation efforts from a larger collection representing the diversity found in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mexico is a center of origin and diversity for maize (Zea mays L.). The 17 landraces selected from an initial collection of 152 satisfy two criteria. First, they represent the diversity present in the larger collection. Second, they appear to serve the interests of farmers in the region. Data for applying the method were elicited through participatory as well as conventional techniques. They incorporate the complementary perspectives of both men and women members of farm households, and of plant breeders and social scientists.     

Enhanced establishment and growth of giant cardon cactus in an eroded field in the Sonoran Desert using native legume trees as nurse plants aided by plant growth-promoting microorganisms and compost

To evaluate the feasibility of long-term desert reforestation technology of mixed vegetation, cardon cactus (Pachycereus pringlei) seedlings from indoor and outdoor nurseries were planted in the field adjacent to one seedling of potential legume nurse trees: mesquite amargo (Prosopis articulata), yellow palo verde (Parkinsonia microphylla), and blue palo verde (Parkinsonia florida). Some of the planting holes were also supplemented with common dairy compost. Additionally, the combinations of legume tree–cactus were inoculated with either a consortium of desert arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB; the diazotroph Azospirillum brasilense Cd, and the phosphate solubilizer Paenibacillus sp.), or a mixture of all. The field experiments were evaluated periodically during 30 months for survival and growth. Cardons reared in an outdoor screen house survived better in the field than those reared in a controlled growth chamber and hardened later outdoors. Association with any legume nurse tree increased survival and enhanced growth of untreated cardons. For cardons growing alone, application of either compost, AM fungi, and all the treatments combined increased survival. For these plants, no treatment affected plant growth during the first 3 months after transplanting. Later, all treatments, except for AM fungi, enhanced plant growth. However, only 2 years after transplanting the enhanced growth effect of AM fungi was also significant. In the presence of the legume nurse trees, transient positive effects on cardon growth were recorded. General evaluation after 30 months of cultivation showed that the treatments positively affected cardon growth when growing alone or in combination only with mesquite amargo but not with the other two legume trees. This study proposes that young legume trees have the capacity to enhance survival and growth of cardon cactus, depending on the legume cactus combination. Additional treatments such as compost or PGPB can either amplify the effect or else attenuate it.     

Tracing the source and fate of dissolved organic matter in soil after incorporation of a C labelled residue: A batch incubation study

While dissolved organic matter (DOM) in soil solution is a small but reactive fraction of soil organic matter, its source and dynamics are unclear. A laboratory incubation experiment was set up with an agricultural topsoil amended with ¹³C labelled maize straw. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration in soil solution increased sharply from 25 to 186 mg C L⁻¹ 4 h after maize amendment, but rapidly decreased to 42 mg C L⁻¹ and reached control values at and beyond 2 months. About 65% of DOM was straw derived after 4 h, decreasing to 29% after one day and only 1.3% after 240 days. A significant priming effect of the straw on the release of autochthonous DOM was found. The DOM fractionation with DAX-8 resin revealed that 98% of the straw derived DOM was hydrophilic in the initial pulse while this hydrophilic fraction was 20-30% in control samples. This was in line with the specific UV absorbance of the DOM which was significantly lower in the samples amended with maize residues than in the control samples. The δ¹³C of the respired CO₂ matched that of DOC in the first day after amendment but exceeded it in following days. The straw derived C fractions in respired CO₂ and in microbial biomass were similar between 57 and 240 days after amendment but were 3-10 fold above those in the DOM. This suggests that the solubilisation of C from the straw is in steady state with the DOM degradation or that part of the straw is directly mineralised without going into solution. This study shows that residue application releases a pulse of hydrophilic DOM that temporarily (<3 days) dominates the soil DOM pool and the degradable C. However, beyond that pulse the majority of DOM is derived from soil organic matter and its isotope signature differs from microbial biomass and respired C, casting doubt that the DOM pool in the soil solution is the major bioaccessible C pool in soil.     

Zinc effects on a soil bacterial flora characterized by fatty acid composition of the isolates

Summary Effects of zinc (zinc chloride) added to a sandy clay loam soil on its bacterial flora were investigated by the study of cellular fatty acid composition of the isolates. The soil amended with glucose (carbon source) and ammonium sulfate (nitrogen source) was incubated in the presence (1.0 mg/g) or absence of zinc for 96 h. Bacterial strains were isolated on albumin agar from the incubated soils every 24 h. Their cellular fatty acid composition was analyzed and the strains were classified according to the percentage distribution pattern of the fatty acid composition.Two and four dominant patterns of the fatty acid composition were obtained in the isolates from the control soil and the soil with zinc added, respectively. They were different from one another. Most of the dominant strains isolated from the soil with added zinc were zinc-tolerant, and it was suggested that the selection for zinc tolerance readily proceeded.     

Hyphal transport by a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus of N applied to the soil as ammonium or nitrate

Summary Transport of N by hyphae of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus was studied under controlled experimental conditions. The N source was applied to the soil as ¹⁵NH _inf4 ^sup+ or ¹⁵NO _inf3 ^sup- . Cucumis sativus was grown for 25 days, either alone or in symbiosis with Glomus intraradices, in containers with a hyphal compartment separated from the root compartment by a fine nylon mesh. Mineral N was then applied to the hyphal compartment as ¹⁵NH _inf4 ^sup+ or ¹⁵NO _inf3 ^sup- at 5 cm distance from the root compartment. Soil samples were taken from the hyphal compartment at 1, 3 and 5 cm distance from the root compartment at 7 and 12 days after labelling, and the concentration of mineral N in the samples was measured from 2 M KCl extracts. Mycorrhizal colonization did not affect plant dry weight. The recovery of ¹⁵N in mycorrhizal plants was 38 or 40%, respectively, when ¹⁵NH _inf4 ^sup+ or ¹⁵NO _inf3 ^sup- was applied. The corresponding values for non-mycorrhizal plants were 7 and 16%. The higher ¹⁵N recovery observed in mycorrhizal plants than in non-mycorrhizal plants suggests that hyphal transport of N from the applied ¹⁵N sources towards the host plant had occurred. The concentration of mineral N in the soil of hyphal compartments was considerably less in mycorrhizal treatments than in controls, indicating that the hyphae were able to deplete the soil for mineral N.     

稻-麦轮作体系不同施肥模式对氮肥利用效率和土壤有效养分平衡的影响

土壤肥力和养分利用效率是保障可持续粮食生产的基础。通过田间试验研究了稻—麦轮作体系下不同施肥模式氮肥利用效率和土壤有效养分的变化,结果表明:在减少养分总投入量的条件下,有机肥部分替代化肥处理(RF-OM和RF-S处理)水稻地上部总生物量显著高于LRF处理(P<0.05),与FP处理差异不大;小麦秸秆生物量与FP和LRF处理差异均不显著,籽粒生物量及地上部总生物量与LRF处理相差不大。水稻收获期RF-OM处理地上部主要器官含氮量与LRF处理差异不显著,氮素积累总量显著高于LRF处理(P<0.05);小麦收获期RF-OM和RF-S处理秸秆、籽粒含氮量和氮素积累量与LRF处理均无显著差异。收获期RF-OM和RF-S处理水稻糙米和稻壳、小麦秸秆和籽粒含磷量及磷素积累量与FP和LRF处理差异都不大;水稻秸秆、稻壳及小麦秸秆含钾量和钾素积累量均显著高于FP和LRF处理(P<0.05)。有机肥部分替代化肥处理水稻、小麦氮肥农学利用率、氮肥表观回收率和氮肥偏生产力与FP和LRF处理相比均显著提高(P<0.05),氮素籽粒生产效率也高于FP和LRF处理,甚至达到显著水平(P<0.05)。试验表明,水稻、小麦收获期增钾处理(RF-OM和RF-S处理)土壤速效钾、缓效钾含量显著高于FP和LRF处理(P<0.05),水稻收获期土壤碱解氮和小麦收获期土壤有效磷含量与LRF处理差异不大,同时,经1个稻—麦轮作周期后,4个施肥处理土壤有效养分(碱解氮、有效磷、速效钾、缓效钾)含量均高于供试土壤。有机肥部分替代化肥能显著提高稻麦氮肥利用效率,有利于土壤有效养分平衡,并显著提高土壤速效钾和缓效钾养分含量,是适宜的稻麦化肥减量和稳产增效施用技术。     

The use of polyethylene mulches to change soil microclimate as revealed by enzyme activity and biomass nitrogen,sulphur and phosphorus

Summary The effects of white, black and clear polyethylene mulches on temporal fluctuations in protease, sulphatase and phosphatase activities and levels of available and biomass N, S and P in raised beds of soil under a strawberry crop were investigated under field conditions. During spring, summer and early autumn, clear and, to a lesser extent black, polyethylene mulch increased both maximum and minimum mean monthly temperatures over those recorded with white mulch or no mulch. During summer and autumn, soil moisture content measured at monthly intervals was higher under mulched than unmulched conditions. Levels of extractable nitrate and sulphate in soils during autumn followed the order: clear mulch = black mulch > white mulch > no mulch. However, there were no significant differences in levels of enzyme activity or concentrations of biomass N, S or P between treatments. There were significant seasonal fluctuations in estimates of biomass N, S and P, but there was no close relationship between fluctuations in any estimate. This discrepancy was attributed to errors in the chloroform fumigation technique. Enzyme activities showed significant temporal fluctuations but the three enzymes did not show similar times of minimum and maximum activity. The complexity of interactions between soil microbial and biochemical properties and nutrient availability was exemplified by the absence of a discernible relationship between seasonal fluctuations in enzyme activities and levels of biomass N, S and P and/or levels of extractable mineral N, S and P in the soil. Strawberry fruit yields and vegetative growth followed the order : clear mulch = black mulch>white mulch>no mulch. Clear, and to a lesser extent black mulch increased the percentage of total yields produced in the first 2 months of cropping.     

Population dynamics of the earthworm Aporrectodea trapezoides (Annelida: Lumbricidae) in a Western Australian pasture soil

Summary The changes in size and age-composition of an earthworm population were studied in a Western Australian pasture developed since 1912. The population size in the surface 10 cm was estimated by handsorting during the cool wet season (19 weeks from May to September). Two species, both exotic, were found, Aporrectodea tranpezoides (Lumbricidae) and Microscolex dubius (Acanthodrilidae). Of the 615 individual speciemens collected, 99.7% were A. trapezoides. The abundance of A. trapezoides increased from 58 m^-2 at the time of the opening rains to 170 m^-2 (88.6 g live weight m^-2) after 10.5 weeks. Near the end of the wet season (in October) the density was 37 m^-2. At the time of the opening rains the population consisted of juvenile and semimature individuals. Clitellate earthworms were found 1 month later and predominated from August (10.5 weeks) to the end of the season. Egg capsules were found from August through October. Egg capsules incubated in the laboratory at 16°C hatched on average after 42 days and produced two juveniles. Juvenile and immature earthworms collected from a quiescent state at the end of summer matured within 1 month when reared in moist soil in the laboratory.     

Reduction of bacterial growth by a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus in the rhizosphere of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Summary Cucumber was grown in a partially sterilized sand-soil mixture with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus fasciculatum or left uninoculated. Fresh soil extract was places in polyvinyl chloride tubes without propagules of mycorrhizal fungi. Root tips and root segments with adhering soil, bulk soil, and soil from unplanted tubes were sampled after 4 weeks. Samples were labelled with [³H]-thymidine and bacteria in different size classes were measured after staining by acridine orange. The presence of VAM decreased the rate of bacterial DNA synthesis, decreased the bacterial biomass, and changed the spatial pattern of bacterial growth compared to non-mycorrhizal cucumbers. The [³H]-thymidine incorporation was significantly higher on root tips in the top of tubes, and on root segments and bulk soil in the center of tubes on non-mycorrhizal plants compared to mycorrhizal plants. At the bottom of the tubes, the [³H]-thymidine incorporation was significantly higher on root tips of mycorrhizal plants. Correspondingly, the bacterial biovolumes of rods with dimension 0.28–0.40×1.1–1.6 m, from the bulk soil in the center of tubes and from root segments in the center and top of tubes, and of cocci with a diameter of 0.55–0.78 m in the bulk soil in the center of tubes, were significantly reduced by VAM fungi. The extremely high bacterial biomass (1–7 mg C g^-1 dry weight soil) was significant reduced by mycorrhizal colonization on root segments and in bulk soil. The incorporation of [³H]-thymidine was around one order of magnitude lower compared to other rhizosphere measurements, probably because pseudomonads that did not incorporate [³H]-thymidine dominated the bacterial population. The VAM probably decreased the amount of plant root-derived organic matter available for bacterial growth, and increased bacterial spatial variability by competition. Thus VAM plants seem to be better adapted to compete with the saprophytic soil microflora for common nutrients, e.g., N and P, compared to non-mycorrhizal plants.     

Spatial structures of N2O, CO2, and CH4 fluxes from Acacia mangium plantation soils during a relatively dry season in Indonesia

We investigated spatial structures of N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄ fluxes during a relatively dry season in an Acacia mangium plantation stand in Sumatra, Indonesia. The fluxes and soil properties were measured at 1-m intervals in a 1 × 30-m plot (62 grid points) and at 10-m intervals in a 40 × 100-m plot (55 grid points) at different topographical positions of the upper plateau, slope, and valley bottom in the plantation. Spatial structures of each gas flux and soil property were identified using geostatistical analysis. The means (±SD) of N₂O, CO₂, and CH₄ fluxes in the 10-m grids were 0.54 (±0.33) mg N m⁻² d⁻¹, 2.81 (±0.71) g C m⁻² d⁻¹, and −0.84 (±0.33) mg C m⁻² d⁻¹, respectively. This suggests that A. mangium soils function as a larger source of N₂O than natural forest soils in the adjacent province on Sumatra during the relatively dry season, while CO₂ and CH₄ emissions from the A. mangium soils were less than or consistent with those in the natural forest soils. Multiple spatial dependence of N₂O fluxes within 3.2 m (1-m grids) and 35.0 m (10-m grids), and CO₂ fluxes within 1.8 m (1-m grids) and over 65 m (10-m grids) was detected. From the relationship among N₂O and CO₂ gas fluxes, soil properties, and topographic elements, we suggest that the multiple spatial structures of N₂O and CO₂ fluxes are mainly associated with soil resources such as readily mineralizable carbon and nitrogen in a relatively dry season. The soil resource distributions were probably controlled by the meso- and microtopography. Meanwhile, CH₄ fluxes were spatially independent in the A. mangium soils, and the water-filled pore space appeared to mainly control the spatial distribution of these fluxes.     

pH,nitrogen mineralization,and KCl-extractable aluminum as affected by initial soil pH and rate of vetch residue application: results from a laboratory study

Purpose

Initial soil pH determines the direction and magnitude of pH change after residue addition. This study aimed to evaluate the relative importance of initial soil pH and rate of residue application in determining subsequent pH change, nitrogen (N) mineralization, and soil-exchangeable aluminum (Al).

Materials and methods

An incubation experiment was conducted for 102 days on a Plinthudult soil and a Paleudalf soil, where pH gradients were produced after application of direct current (DC). Rates of vetch applications were 0, 5, 15, 30, and 50 g kg^?1 soil.

Results and discussion

Increasing rates of vetch application caused greater increases in soil pH, but no consistent increase in soil pH at higher initial pH range (4.40～6.74), because of nitrification. There was a positive correlation between alkalinity production and the initial soil pH at day 14, while correlations became negative at days 56 and 102. Mineral N accumulated as NH₄ ⁺–N in low pH soils, due to limited nitrification, while NO₃ ^?–N dominated in higher pH soils. Application of vetch decreased KCl-extractable Al, probably because of complexation of Al by organic matter and precipitation of Al as a result of increased pH, reductions in Al concentration increased with increasing rates of vetch application. However, this amelioration effect on Al concentration weakened with time in higher pH soils.

Conclusions

Application of vetch residue can significantly increase soil pH and concentrations of mineral N and reduce exchangeable Al. These amelioration effects are enhanced with increased rate of vetch addition and vary with time depending on the initial pH of the soil.     

Population dynamics of the earthworm Amynthas alexandri (Annelida: Megascolecidae) in a Kumaun Himalayan pasture soil

Ecological studies on earthworms were conducted in a Kumaun Himalayan pasture soil. The C:N ratio in the soil declined with increasing depth. A combination of hand-sorting and formalin application was used to sample the earthworms. Three species, Amynthas alexandri, A. diffringens (Megascolecidae), and Eisenia fetida (Lumbricidae) were found. Of the 13310 individuals collected, 99.9% were A. alexandri. The maximum density (138.8 m^-2) and biomass (25.2 g m^-2) were recorded in the wet season. More than 60% of the total earthworm numbers and biomass were recorded at 0–10 cm in depth. The mean yearly ratio of clitellate to aclitellate worms was 1:7.3.     

Bottom-up down from the top: Honeydew as a carbon source for soil organisms

Honeydew produced by aphids is a well-studied food source for mutualistic ants. Although considerable amounts drop onto the soil surface there are hardly any studies dealing with the potential effects of this additional C source for soil organisms, particularly those living at the soil surface. We studied this question by simulating honeydew and investigating plots under Populus canescens formerly infested with aphids on two ruderal sites differing in soil organic matter content and vegetation cover. The simulated honeydew input increased microbial biomass with some delay in week 10. Both natural and simulated honeydew raised the activity densities of an epigeic Collembola taxon, the Bourletiellidae, but not of the dominant Hemisotoma thermophila. The honeydew effect varied over time and with the site, and was more pronounced at the nutrient-poor site for Collembola, but not for microbial biomass. Ant consumption reduced the amount of honeydew reaching the soil surface by 50%. The activity density of H. thermophila was negatively related to ants and spiders, hinting at a top-down control. Honeydew clearly acts as a bottom-up force for soil organisms, which is however only part of the complex network connecting the food webs of primary producers and decomposers.     

Methane oxidation activity and bacterial community composition in a simulated landfill cover soil is influenced by the growth of Chenopodium album L.

Oxygen availability in landfill cover soil is a major limitation to the growth and activity of methanotrophs as methane oxidation is an aerobic microbial process. Plants tolerant to high concentrations of landfill gas (LFG) may play an important role in improving methane oxidation within landfill cover soil and reducing emission of methane, a greenhouse gas, from it. In this study, the effect of an LFG tolerant plant Chenopodium album L. on methane oxidation activity (MOA) and bacterial community composition in landfill cover soil was investigated. Soil samples from four simulated lysimeters with and without LFG and plant vegetation were taken at 4 stages during the plant's development cycle. Results showed that the total number of culturable bacteria in soil could be significantly increased (P < 0.05) by the growth of C. album. The total number of methanotrophs and MOA in soils with LFG was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in soils without LFG on sampling days 90, 150 and 210. The total number of methanotrophs and MOA in lysimeters with LFG added increased in the presence of C. album when the plant entered the seed setting stage. Polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) gel patterns of 16S rDNA gene fragment and band sequencing analyses showed apparent differences in soil bacterial communities in the presence of LFG and plant vegetation. Members of the genus Methylosarcina were found to be the active and dominant methanotrophs in rhizosphere soil of C. album with LFG, while Methylococcus, Methylocystis, and Methylosinus were the primary methanotroph genera in LFG soil without C. album. Thus, C. album appears to select for specific methanotrophic bacteria in the presence of LFG. Soil MOA and microbial diversity can also be significantly affected by the presence of this plant.     

Influence of aggregate size on phosphorus changes in a soil cultivated intermittently: analysis by <Superscript>31</Superscript>P nuclear magnetic resonance

A pot trial using wet-sieved soil aggregates (>4, 4–2, 2–1, 1–0.5, 0.5–25, and remaining soil <0.25 mm) from a soil that had been cultivated out of permanent pasture and used for winter forage crops for 2 years examined changes in P forms before and after 35 weeks when resown with perennial ryegrass. Soil analyses showed that P was depleted after 35 weeks growth. Changes in P forms were analyzed by ³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance of soil NaOH-EDTA extracts, which removed 98–96% of total P (about 1,080 mg kg⁻¹ in unsieved soil before pasture growth). This indicated that aggregate size influenced the concentrations and forms of P probably via a combination of physical protection and moisture status: orthophosphate, monoesters, diesters and pyrophosphate increased with decreasing size, while phosphonates and polyphosphates were unaffected. The increase in pyrophosphate was attributed to fungal growth, while decreases in orthophosphate and labile organic P (diesters) decreased due to either leaching or mineralisation and plant uptake. The largest decrease was associated with orthophosphate, which could be replenished by fertiliser. However, given the soil’s high potential for P loss, this should only be done to meet conditions for optimal plant growth as any excess would increase the risk of loss. To further minimise P loss without affecting pasture yield, management should maintain or improve soil structure.     

Controls on nitrification in a water-limited ecosystem: experimental inhibition of ammonia-oxidising bacteria in the Patagonian steppe

We studied controls on nitrification in an undisturbed water-limited ecosystem by inhibiting autotrophic nitrifying bacteria in soils with varying levels of vegetative cover. The activity of nitrifying bacteria was disrupted using nitrapyrin, 2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl)-pyridine, under field conditions in three microenvironments (underneath shrubs, next to grasses and in bare soil). Ammonia-oxidising bacteria were detected by PCR analysis of DNA in soils. The inhibition of nitrification changed the concentrations of NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ in the soil, while the microenvironment was most important in determining the response of bacteria to the inhibitor. Nitrapyrin application resulted in a significant (p<0.05) reduction in soil NO₃⁻ concentration (39%) and a significant increase (p<0.001) in soil NH₄⁺ concentration (41%). Untreated bare-soil microenvironments had the lowest concentrations of NH₄⁺ (1.57 μg/g of dry soil) and NO₃⁻ (0.49 μg/g of dry soil) when compared to the other microenvironments, and showed the highest impacts of nitrification inhibition. For example, NH₄⁺ concentrations increased 288% and NO₃⁻ concentrations decreased 60% in inhibited bare-soil microenvironments. In contrast, untreated microenvironments underneath shrubs had the highest levels of NH₄⁺ (10.01 μg/g of dry soil) and NO₃⁻ (0.69 μg/g of dry soil), but showed no significant effects of inhibition of nitrification on soil nitrogen concentrations.