Subcritical soil hydrophobicity in the presence of native and exotic arbuscular mycorrhizal species at different soil salinity levels

Soil salinity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influence the soil hydrophobicity. An experiment was performed to determine the effects of soil salinity and AMF species on soil water repellency (SWR) under wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop. Six AMF treatments, including four exotic species (Rhizophagus irregularis, Funneliformis mosseae and Claroideoglomus claroideum, a mix of three species), one mix native AMF species treatment and an AMF-free soil in combination with four salinity levels (1, 5, 10, and 15 dS m^?1) were used. The soil repellency index (RI) increased with salinity increment ranging from 2.4 to 10.5. The mix of three exotic and native AMF treatments enhanced the RI significantly compared to AMF-free soil in all salinity levels with one exception for native treatment at 1 dS m^?1. Among individual AMF species, the C. claroideum treatment at 10 dS m^?1 increased the RI by 67% compared to AMF-free soil. The native AMF treatment was more efficient in root colonization, glomalin production and SWR development at 10 and 15 dS m^?1, compared to exotic species. In addition to the net positive effect of salinity on SWR, the AMF influences on the RI were greatly dependent on salinity levels.     

Functional and structural responses of bacterial and fungal communities from paddy fields following long-term rice cultivation

Purpose

Rice paddy soils undergo pedogenesis driven by periodic flooding and drainage cycles that lead to accumulation of organic matter and the stratification of nutrients and oxygen in the soil profile. Here, we examined the effects of continuous rice cultivation on microbial community structures, enzyme activities, and chemical properties for paddy soils along a chronosequence representing 0–700 years of rice cropping in China.

Materials and methods

Changes in the abundance and composition of bacterial and fungal communities were characterized at three depths (0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm) in relation to organic carbon, total nitrogen, dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen, and activities of acid phosphatase, invertase, and urease.

Results and discussion

Both soil organic carbon and total nitrogen increased over time at all three depths, while pH generally decreased. Microbial abundance (bacteria and fungi) and invertase and urease activity significantly increased with the duration of rice cultivation, especially in the surface layer. Fungal abundance and acid phosphatase activity declined with depth, whereas bacterial abundance was highest at the 5–10-cm soil depth. Profiles of the microbial community based on PCR-DGGE of 16S rRNA indicated that the composition of fungal communities was strongly influenced by soil depth, whereas soil bacterial community structures were similar throughout the profile.

Conclusions

Soil bioactivity (microbial abundance and soil enzymes) gradually increased with organic carbon and total nitrogen accumulation under prolonged rice cultivation. Microbial activity decreased with depth, and soil microbial communities were stratified with soil depth. The fungal community was more sensitive than the bacterial community to cultivation age and soil depth. However, the mechanism of fungal community succession with rice cultivation needs further research.

     

The composition characteristics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities associated with barley in saline-alkaline soils in Central Anatolia

ABSTRACT

Central Anatolia, which suffers from salinity, alkalinity, and drought stresses, is one of the most important cultivation regions of barley (Hordeum vulgare) in Turkey. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could promote barley production under several stresses; however, only a little information is available for AMF community composition in Turkish arable soils. In this study, barley root samples were collected from eight sites in the Central Anatolian region during the growing season (GS: April) and the harvest season (HS: July) in 2012, and the composition of AMF communities were elucidated based on the partial sequence of the AMF 18S rRNA gene using high-throughput sequencing technology. As a result, barley-AMF symbioses in this region were highly dominated by Glomeraceae (71.8% in GS and 59.2% in HS), followed by Claroideoglomeraceae (10.3% in GS and 15.9% in HS), Gigasporaceae (9.1% in GS and 13.1% in HS), and Acaulosporaceae (5.8% in GS and 7.7% in HS). Compared to Glomeraceae and Claroideoglomeraceae families, communities of Acaulosporaceae, Diversisporaceae, Paraglomeraceae, and Gigasporaceae consisted of fewer AMF species. The AMF evenness significantly increased from GS to HS. The most dominant AMF sequence, VTX00248 in the MaarjAM database, was closely related to Rhizophagus, which occupied 25.8% and 14.7% of the total AMF sequences in GS and HS, respectively. The relative abundance of AMF related to Rhizophagus tended to be reduced in HS, suggesting that the species could form mycorrhiza in the early stages of barley growth in this region. On the other hand, the relative abundance of Claroideoglomeraceae and Scutellosporaceae tended to increase in HS. Soil CaCO₃ content significantly influenced AMF community compositions in GS, while soil pH and EC showed no significant impact on AMF community compositions. Based on discriminant analysis, 11 VTXs (related Acaulospora, Claroideoglomus, Funneliformis, Gigaspora, and Glomus) showed higher abundance in the barley roots grown in the soil with relatively high CaCO₃ content, suggesting that these sequences might be adapted to such an environment.     

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Rhizoglomus intraradices on active and passive pools of carbon in long-term soil fertility gradients of maize based cropping system

A potculture study was conducted in soils collected from long-term fertilizer experiment (LTFE) being kept up as far the past 40 years to determine whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) Rhizoglomus intraradices colonization changes the active and passive pools of carbon in a maize (Zea mays) – finger millet (Eleusine crocana)- cowpea (Vigna sinensis) cropping sequence in the Experimental Farm of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India. Soil samples were processed, sterilized and maize plants were grown in various fertility gradients in the absence (M-) or presence (M+) of AMF (Rhizoglomus intraradices) inoculation. The data have clearly shown that M+ soils had consistently higher active pools such as water soluble carbon, hot water soluble carbon and biomass carbon (M- 189; M + 305 mg kg^?1), and passive pools such as soil organic carbon (M- 4.17; M + 4.31 mg g^?1) and total glomalin. Among the fertility gradients, 100% NPK + Farm Yard Manure (FYM) with or without mycorrhizal fungal inoculation registered higher values for both active and passive pools of C but the response was more pronounced in the presence AMF inoculation. Overall, the data suggest that mycorrhizal fungal inoculation assists in effective carbon sequestration in an intensive cereal-legume cropping system.Abbreviations: AMF: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; DAS: Days After Sowing; LTFE: Long-Term Fertilizer Experiment; WSC: Water soluble organic carbon; HA: Humic acid; FA: Fulvic acid; HWSC: Hot water soluble carbon     

Characterization of rhizosphere microbial communities in continuous cropping maca (Lepidium meyenii) red soil,Yunnan, China

ABSTRACT

Continuous cropping maca systems are widespread in Yunan Province, China. However, the relationships between continuous cropping maca systems and microbes are not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of continuous cropping maca systems (Maca with 0, 1, 2, and 3 years of continuous cultivation) on the soil microbial community. The results showed that the soil organic matter, total N, total P, and total K contents, as well as maca fresh and dry weight, decreased significantly with increased continuous cropping years. Interestingly, qPCR analysis showed that the bacterial and fungal abundance (DNA levels) decreased and active bacterial and fungal abundance (RNA levels) increased with cropping years from the first to the third cropping (p < 0.05). Moreover, the abundance of actinomycetes in the CK soil was significantly higher than that in the other maca soils. In addition, the continuous cropping system resulted in rich diversity in the fungal structure and had little effects on the bacterial and actinomycete communities. Acidobacteria (50%) and Ascomycota (58.3%) were detected in the continuous cropping maca soils. Based on the present results, continuous cropping of maca not exceeding two years could be optimal to maintain soil nutrition and microbial community.     

Influence of long-term fertilisation and crop rotation on changes in fungal and bacterial residues in a tropical rice-field soil

Amino sugars, as a microbial residue biomarker, are highly involved in microbial-mediated soil organic matter formation. However, accumulation of microbial biomass and responses of bacterial and fungal residues to the management practices are different and poorly characterized in rice soils. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of mineral fertiliser (MIN), farmyard manure (FYM) and groundnut oil cake (GOC) on crop yield and co-accumulation of microbial residues and microbial biomass under rice-monoculture (RRR) and rice–legume–rice (RLR) systems. In the organic fertiliser treatments and RLR, rice grain yield and stocks of soil and microbial nutrients were significantly higher than those of the MIN treatment and RRR, respectively. The increased presence of saprotrophic fungi in the organic fertiliser treatments and RRR was indicated by significantly increased ergosterol/C_mic ratio and extractable sulphur. In both crop rotation systems, the long-term application of FYM and GOC led to increased bacterial residues as indicated by greater accumulation of muramic acid. In contrast, the higher fungal C/bacterial C ratio and lower ergosterol/C_mic ratio in the MIN treatment, is likely caused by a shift within the fungal community structure towards ergosterol-free arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The organic fertiliser treatments contributed 22 % more microbial residual C to soil organic C compared to the MIN treatment. Our results suggest that the negative relationship between the ratios ergosterol/C_mic and fungal C/bacterial C encourages studying responses of both saprotrophic fungi and AMF when assessing management effects on the soil microbial community.     

Contribution of Roots and Mycorrhizal Hyphae on Phosphorus Efficiency of Maize (Zea mays,L.) Genotypes Grown on Calcareous Soil—A Mechanistic Modeling Approach

ABSTRACT

This work was conducted to study phosphorus (P) efficiency of two maize genotypes (Zea mays, L.) in calcareous soil grown in potted soil with two levels of P in soil by adding 40 and 270 mg P/kg soil. Half of the pots were inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) (Rhizoglomus irregulare). The maize genotypes were harvested two times at 35 and 50 days after transplanting. The plant dry matter, root length and Plant P uptake of maize genotype Hagen 1 without mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increased significantly compared with Hagen 9 at a low P level. In contrast, there was no significant difference between two maize genotypes inoculated with AMF under the same P level. The predicted value increased rapidly with increasing P levels from about 70% up to 97% in both maize genotypes with and without mycorrhizal fungi. At a low P level, the mycorrhizae hyphae contributed by about 31.6% and 30.2% of the predicted total P uptake in maize genotype Hagen 1 and Hagen 9, respectively. The results of this study suggested that the P-inefficient genotype Hagen 9 improved with inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi under a low P level at the same conditions of this experiment. Also, root growth system and mycorrhizal hyphae length would be a suitable plant parameter for studying P efficient maize genotypes, especially under limited P supply. The current study clearly pointed out that the mechanistic simulation model (NST 3.0) provides useful tools for studying the role of AMF in P uptake of plant.     

马铃薯连作栽培对土壤微生物多样性的影响

为阐明马铃薯连作对土壤微生物群落结构和功能多样性的影响,揭示马铃薯连作障碍机制,本试验采用BIOLOG技术结合丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)形态学鉴定方法,就连作0(迎茬)、2 a、4 a、6 a、10 a的马铃薯田块土壤进行研究。结果表明:土壤养分含量随马铃薯连作年限增加有一定程度下降,其中,连作10 a马铃薯根际土壤的全磷、速效磷、速效钾和碱解氮与连作4 a相比分别下降61.32%、26.86%、26.87%和17.24%,但没有明显的养分亏缺和不均衡现象。土壤微生物群落结构发生了较大变化,放线菌、真菌数量显著随连作年限的延长先增加后减少,呈单峰型变化趋势;细菌数量随连作年限的延长呈逐步减少趋势,但差异不显著。连作4~6 a土壤微生物群落依然有较强的功能多样性,培养120 h后,连作6 a较迎茬AWCD值提高3.89%;群落组成中随连作年限的延长以碳水化合物、氨基酸类为碳源的微生物类群代谢能力明显下降,但代谢功能多样性趋于一致。连作马铃薯土壤AM真菌优势种发生改变,迎茬土壤为沙漠球囊霉(Glomus deserticola),连作2 a土壤为扭形球囊霉(Glomus delhiense)和福摩萨球囊霉(Glomus formosanum),连作10 a土壤为球泡球囊霉(Glomus globiferum)。多元分析结果表明,土壤微生物结构与功能多样性、AM真菌多样性变化受土壤p H、全磷含量、放线菌数量、细菌数量及土壤中以碳水化合物、氨基酸类等为碳源基质的微生物类群影响。说明长期连作栽培会影响土壤真菌、放线菌的数量,使真菌群落中AM真菌种的多样性显著下降,优势种发生改变,打破了微生物群落结构与功能平衡,引起土壤微生物群落结构与功能的失调。     

Positive effects of biochar application and Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation on mycorrhizal colonization, rice seedlings and phosphorus cycling in paddy soils

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for plant growth but is often limiting in ecosystems; therefore, improving the P fertilizer use efficiency is important. Biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may enhance P cycling in paddy soils that contain high content of total P but low content of available P (AP). In this study, the effects of biochar addition and Rhizophagus irregularis inoculation on the organic and inorganic P contents and phosphatase activities in paddy soils, rice seedling growth, and AMF colonization were investigated. Compared with no biochar addition, biochar addition enhanced the percentage of spore germination at day 7, hyphal length, most probable number, and mycorrhizal colonization rate of R.irregularis by 32%, 662%, 70%, and 28% on average, respectively. Biochar and R. irregularis altered soil P cycling and availability. Biochar and R. irregularis, either individually or in combination, increased soil AP content by 2%-48%. Rice seedlings treated with biochar and R. irregularis produced greater biomass, improved root morphology, and increased nutrient uptake compared with those of the control without biochar and R. irregularis. The results suggest that combined application of biochar and R. irregularis is beneficial to rice cultivation in paddy soils with high content of total P but low content of AP.     

Aggregate-associated soil organic carbon and total nitrogen following amendment of puddled and sawah-managed rice soils in southeastern Nigeria

Puddling during sawah rice cultivation destabilizes the soil structure. The re-formation of soil water-stable aggregates (WSA) following puddling and amendments, and their associated organic carbon (SOC) and total N were studied at Akaeze and Ikwo in south-eastern Nigeria. The amendments, which were randomized in triplicate, include control, NPK fertilizer, poultry dropping, rice husk powder and rice husk ashes (RHA). Soil samples from 0 to 15 cm depth were taken from the field after 2 years of cultivation. Most of the SOC were found in the very fine aggregates. There was no consistent trend in the treatment effects. However, the NPK-amended soils showed the lowest values of WSA > 2 mm in both locations, whereas the poultry dropping-amended soils showed the least and the highest mean-weight diameter (MWD) values at Akaeze and Ikwo, respectively. The SOC of the whole soil in Akaeze correlated positively with MWD (r = 0.92*). Irrespective of location, SOC in soils and WSA > 2.00 mm correlated positively with MWD (r = 0.56*; 0.65*, respectively) while SOC in WSA 0.50–0.25 mm accounted for low MWD values. More carbon was sequestered at Akaeze than at Ikwo, with the RHA-amended soils being the highest at both locations.     

Molecular identification of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spores associated to the rhizosphere of Retama raetam in Tunisia

ABSTRACT

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are found in the soil of most ecosystems where they form mutualistic associations that affect plants growth. We have investigated the community structure of AMF associated to Retama raetam growing in five regions of Tunisia. The total number of spores was significantly different across sites, ranging from 633 to 1062 spores per 100 g dry soil. A dominance of small spores was revealed. The large subunit region of the rDNA of AMF spores associated to the rhizosphere of R. raetam was sequenced. Sequences clustered into 13 operational taxonomic units. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the majority of sequences were grouped within Glomeraceae and Claroideoglomeraceae families. Only two sequences were affiliated to the Scutellospora genus. These results suggest the dominance of the genus Glomus in the soil rhizosphere of R. raetam. A correlation between phylogenetic analysis, soil chemicals properties, and AMF community richness was also detected.     

Effects of microplastic polystyrene, simulated acid rain and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Trifolium repens growth and soil microbial community composition

Microplastic pollution is a global and ubiquitous environmental problem in the oceans as well as in the terrestrial environment. We examined the fate of microplastic polystyrene (MPS) beads in experimental soil in the presence and absence of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and simulated acid rain (SAR) to determine whether the combinations of these three factors altered the growth of white clover Trifolium repens. We found that MPS, SAR, or AMF added singly to soil did not alter T. repens growth or yields. In contrast, MPS and AMF together significantly reduced shoot biomass, while SAR and MPS together significantly reduced soil available phosphorus independent of AMF presence. Microplastic polystyrene, AMF, and SAR together significantly reduced soil NO^-₃-N. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi added singly also enriched the beneficial soil bacteria (genus Solirubrobacter), while MPS combined with AMF significantly enriched the potential plant pathogenic fungus Spiromastix. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation with MPS increased the abundance of soil hydrocarbon degraders independent of the presence of SAR. In addition, the abundance of soil nitrate reducers was increased by MPS, especially in the presence of AMF and SAR. Moreover, SAR alone increased the abundance of soil pathogens within the fungal community including antibiotic producers. These findings indicate that the coexistence of MPS, SAR, and AMF may exacerbate the adverse effects of MPS on soil and plant health.     

Effect of biochar on the growth of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. seedlings in Gannan acidic red soil

Soil acidification has become a serious problem for citrus cultivation in China. As a soil amendment, biochar is expected to increase soil pH as well as soil fertility. In this study, we assessed the effect of biochar on Trifoliate orange, the most frequently used citrus rootstock, in a pot experiment using acidic red soil from the Gannan citrus production area. Plant height and shoot diameter of Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. seedlings increased significantly after biochar was added to soils. This positive effect was further evidenced by the increased plant biomass and leaf net photosynthetic rate. The root system architecture (RSA) was evaluated based on root length, root surface area, root volume and root tip. Biochar amendment significantly increased the total absorptive surface area of the root system. Due to the significant role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in citrus root nutrient uptake, the AMF colonization and community in Poncirus roots were investigated. The AMF colonization rate was not significantly affected by biochar, whereas AMF diversity increased upon biochar treatment. In addition, the biochar treatment resulted in increases in soil pH, organic matter and mineral nutrients. Together, our results suggest that the positive effects of biochar on the growth performance of Poncirus seedlings can be attributed to the substantial augmentation of soil fertility, increased soil pH, optimized RSA and improved AMF species composition.     

N,P Contribution and soil adaptability of four arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Abstract

A glasshouse study was conducted to investigate the symbiotic efficiency and soil adaptability of four AMF using glass-bead cultivation systems. The results showed that efficiency and adaptability of four fungi varied among three soils. Particularly, efficiency of BEG167 shifted from positive in Beijing soil to negative in Guangdong soil. Furthermore, BEG167 had high adaptability in all three soils. Intraspecific differences of BRG168 and BEG221 were found in efficiency and adaptability in three soils. Taking efficiency and adaptabilty into consideration, it was concluded that BEG167, BEG168 and BEG221 in Beijing soil, BEG151 in Hubei soil, and BEG151 and BEG168 in Guangdong soil were effective AMF for maize.     

接种菌根真菌影响青菜中铅镉的累积和迁移

Heavy metal(HM) contamination in soils is an environmental issue worldwide that threatens the quality and safety of crops and human health. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to investigate the growth, mycorrhizal colonization, and Pb and Cd accumulation of pakchoi(Brassica chinensis L. cv. Suzhou) in response to inoculation with three arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungi(AMF), Funneliformis mosseae, Glomus versiforme, and Rhizophagus intraradices, aimed at exploring how AMF inoculation affected safe crop production by altering plant-soil interaction. The symbiotic relationship was well established between pakchoi and three AMF inocula even under Pb or Cd stress, where the colonization rates in the roots ranged from 24.5% to 38.5%. Compared with the non-inoculated plants, the shoot biomass of the inoculated plants increased by 8.7%–22.1% and 9.2%–24.3% in Pb and Cd addition treatments, respectively. Both glomalin-related soil protein(GRSP) and polyphosphate concentrations reduced as Pb or Cd concentration increased. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation significantly enhanced total absorbed Pb and Cd(except for a few samples) and increased the distribution ratio(root/shoot) in pakchoi at each Pb or Cd addition level. However, the three inocula significantly decreased Pb concentration in pakchoi shoots by 20.6%–67.5% in Pb addition treatments, and significantly reduced Cd concentration in the shoots of pakchoi in the Cd addition treatments(14.3%–54.1%), compared to the non-inoculated plants.Concentrations of Pb and Cd in the shoots of inoculated pakchois were all below the allowable limits of Chinese Food Safety Standard.The translocation factor of Pb or Cd increased significantly with increasing Pb or Cd addition levels, while there was no significant difference among the three AMF inocula at each metal addition level. Meanwhile, compared with the non-inoculated plants, AMF inocula significantly increased soil p H, electrical conductivity, and Pb or Cd concentrations in soil organic matter in the soils at the highest Pb or Cd dose after harvest of pakchoi, whereas the proportion of bioavailable Pb or Cd fraction declined in the AMF inoculated soil. Our study provided the first evidence that AM fungi colonized the roots of pakchoi and indicated the potential application of AMF in the safe production of vegetables in Pb or Cd contaminated soils.     

Responses of directly seeded wetland rice to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi inoculation

The mycorrhizal enhancement of plant growth is generally attributed to increased nutrients uptake. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on the growth and nutrient uptake of directly seeded wetland rice. Seeds were germinated and inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi or left uninoculated. The plants were grown at 60% of ‐0.03 MPa to establish the mycorrhizas. After 5 weeks, half of the pots were harvested and the rest were flooded with deionized water to maintain 3–5 cm of standing water until harvesting (122 days after sowing). Mycorrhizal fungal colonization of rice roots was 36.2% at harvest. Mycorrhizal fungi inoculated rice seedlings grew better compared to uninoculated seedlings and had increased grain yield (10%) at the harvesting stage. Shoot and root growth were effectively increased by AMF inoculation at the harvesting stage. The nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) acquisition of direct seeding wetland rice were significantly increased by AMF inoculation. The AMF enhanced N and P translocation through the hyphae from soils to roots/shoots to grains effectively.     

Changes in the structure of fungal communities of soil treated with sewage sludge

The influence of a single addition of sewage sludges to soils on the composition of fungal communities, soil pH (physical factor) and presence of Eschericha coli (sanitary factor) during 1 year was studied. Only the pH of soil treated with limed sewage sludge increased significantly from 7.01 to 7.58 after 3 months. E. coli was still present in soil 1 year after application of sewage sludge. Fungal numbers increased in the sewage-sludge-treated soil up to 6 months after application (maximum value was 7.5 times that of the control) and then decreased to reach values comparable to those of the control. Treated soils showed different fungal communities to the control with presence of keratinolytic fungi (Sporothrix schenckii, Microsporum sp.), yeasts (Geotrichum candidum, Candida sp., Rhodotorula sp. Cryptococcus sp.), and other potential pathogenic fungi (Aspergillus niger, Fusarium solani). The results indicate that fungi belonging to the genus Candida could be used as specific indicator organisms of the sanitary condition of soils treated with sewage sludge.     

Effects of biochar on copper immobilization and soil microbial communities in a metal-contaminated soil

Purpose

Copper (Cu) contamination has been increasing in land ecosystems. Biochars (BCs) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to bind metals, and metallophyte can remove metals from soils. Will BC in combination with AMF contain the Cu uptake by a metallophyte growing in a metal-contaminated soil? The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of BCs on the Cu immobilization and over soil microbial communities in a metal-contaminated soil in the presence of AMF and metallophyte.

Materials and methods

Two BCs were produced from chicken manure (CMB) and oat hull (OHB). A Cu-contaminated sandy soil (338 mg kg^?1) was incubated with CMB and OHB (0, 1, and 5 % w/w) for 2 weeks. Metallophyte Oenothera picensis was grown in pots (500 mL) containing the incubated soils in a controlled greenhouse for 6 months. A number of analyses were conducted after the harvest. These include plant biomass weight, microbial basal respiration, and dehydrogenase activity (DHA), AMF root colonization, spore number, and glomalin production; changes in fungal and bacterial communities, Cu fractions in soil phases, and Cu uptake in plant tissues.

Results and discussion

The BCs increased the soil pH, decreased easily exchangeable fraction of Cu, and increased organic matter and residual fraction of Cu. The BCs provided favorable habitat for microorganisms, thereby increasing basal respiration. The CMB increased DHA by ～62 and ～574 %, respectively, for the low and high doses. Similarly, the OHB increased soil microbial activity by ～68 and ～72 %, respectively, for the low and high doses. AMF root colonization, spore number, and total glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) production increased by ～3, ～2, and ～3 times, respectively, in soils treated with 1 % OHB. Despite being a metalophyte, O. picensis could not uptake Cu efficiently. Root and shoot Cu concentrations decreased or changed insignificantly in most BC treatments.

Conclusions

The results show that the BCs decreased bioavailable Cu, decreased Cu uptake by O. picensis, improved habitat for microorganisms, and enhanced plant growth in Cu-contaminated soil. This suggests that biochars may be utilized to remediate Cu-contaminated soils.

     

Assessment of soil quality monitoring indicators under long term rice cultivation in hot arid Ghaggar-flood plains of India

ABSTRACT

The evaluation of soil quality is essential in monitoring the long term effects of rice cultivation. Present study investigated the effects of long term rice cultivation on soil properties and organic C pools and identified indicators for monitoring soil quality in Ghaggar-flood plains of hot arid India. Soil samples were collected from fields with 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 years of rice cultivation. The study revealed that electrical conductivity (EC) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) increased after 30–40 years of rice cultivation. Available nutrients increased with increasing years of rice cultivation. The organic carbon pools namely, total organic carbon (TOC), Walkley Black carbon (WBC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were increased above 50% in 20 and above years of rice cultivation. The TOC and POC were increased by 40.6 to 132.4% and 31.7% to 104.8% in 10 to 40 years of rice cultivation. Cation exchange capacity, WBC, ESP and CaCO₃ could serve as soil monitoring indicators of long term rice cultivation in arid region. The findings clearly indicated that long term rice cultivation could aggravate soil salinity and have negative impact on soil quality in arid environment.     

Host–pathogen interaction of maize (Zea mays L.) and Aspergillus niger as influenced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus deserticola)

This study was carried out to investigate the interaction of maize and Aspergillus niger as influenced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Three quality protein maize (QPM) genotypes (ILE1-OB, ART-98-SW5-OB and ART-98-SW6-OB) and two market accessions (Ilishan and Shagamu) were evaluated in a pot experiment conducted under natural environment conditions at the Research and Teaching Farm of Babcock University, Ogun State, Nigeria. AMF (Glomus deserticola) in mixtures of soil and root fragments was inoculated at the rate of 15 g per plant, while maize was artificially infected with A. niger (15 cfu ml^?1) in each designated pots. The coefficient of emergence (COV), percentage emergence (% E) and disease severity were determined using standard methods. Generally, plants treated with AMF only produced the highest cumulative cob yield (18 g), followed by plants treated with AMF and A. niger (15 g) and then control (12 g), while the least was recorded for only A. niger-treated plants (4 g).