Modification of P availability by endogeic earthworms (Glossoscolecidae) in Ferralsols of the Malagasy Highlands

Low phosphorus (P) availability in Ferralsols of the Malagasy Highlands is a major limitation to crop growth. Direct seeding mulch-based cropping practices which were adopted in the region to improve and sustain soil fertility are known to favour earthworms’ presence. The mesocosm study aims to analyse the effect of an endogeic geophageous earthworm species on the soil P status. Total P content (P _t), NaOH-extractable P content, P ions (Pi) concentration (C _p) in solution and rapid and slow reactions of Pi in solution with solid phase were determined in two Malagasy Ferralsols. Both C _p and reactions rates were assessed in laboratory batch experiments using ³²Pi labelling and isotopic exchange kinetics (IEK). The P _t values were 836 and 349 mg P g⁻¹ in a clayey soil and a sandy–clayey soil, respectively. For both soils, NaOH-extractable organic P was significantly higher in earthworm casts than in parent soils, whereas Pt was unchanged. Also, the effect of earthworm ingestion significantly changed parameters of the IEK. In casts compared with the soil from which they were derived, the immediate isotopically exchangeable Pi (E _1 min) increased by 116%, whereas relative rates of Pi release at the solid-to-solution with time were slightly lowered. The effect of earthworm ingestion on IEK corresponded to a transfer of slowly exchangeable Pi towards quicker Pi pools of exchange. However, according to the literature, the increase in E _1 min remained below the critical level for optimal growth, stating that the soils remained P-deficient even in the presence of active and numerous earthworms.     

Impact on C and N dynamics of simultaneous application of pig slurry and wheat straw, as affected by their initial locations in soil

The joint management of animal manures and plant biomass as straw on agricultural soils may be a viable option for reducing the environmental impacts associated with livestock production and recycling nutrients efficiently. To investigate this option, an incubation in controlled conditions examined how the simultaneous addition of ¹⁵N-labeled pig slurry and ¹³C-labeled wheat straw, either on the soil surface or incorporated into the soil, affected the mineralization of C from the organic materials and the soil N dynamics. Samples from a typic hapludalf were incubated for 95 days at 25°C with eight treatments: unamended soil (S), wheat straw left on the soil surface (Ws), wheat straw incorporated in the soil (Wi), pig slurry on the soil surface (Ps), pig slurry incorporated in the soil (Pi) and three combinations of the two amendments: Pi?+?Ws, Pi?+?Wi, and Ws?+?Ps. Carbon dioxide and ¹³CO₂ emissions and soil N content were measured throughout the incubation. Pig slurry stimulated the decomposition of straw C only when wheat straw and pig slurry were left together on the soil surface. Incorporation of both wheat straw and pig slurry did not modify straw C mineralization when compared to straw incorporation alone but this promoted a higher rate of N immobilization. The results suggest that when pig slurry is used in field under no-till conditions, the best strategy to preserve environmental quality with regard to CO₂ emissions would be to apply pig slurry underneath the crop residues.     

Inorganic pyrophosphatase activity of soils

A simple method to assay inorganic pyrophosphatase activity in soils is described. It involves extraction and colorimetric determination of the orthophosphate (Pi) released when 1 g soil is incubated with buffered (pH 8) pyrophosphate (PPi) solution at 37°C for 5 h. The 1 n H₂SO₄ used to extract Pi gives quantitative recovery of Pi added to soils, and the colorimetric method used to determine the Pi extracted in the presence of PPi is specific for Pi. The inorganic pyrophosphatase activity of the six soils studied ranged from 50 to 450 μg Pi released·g^?1 soil·5 h^?1. Steam sterilization (121°C for l h), formaldehyde, fluoride, oxalate, and carbonate inhibited and toluene, Na⁺, K⁺, NH⁺₄, Cl^?, NO^?₃, NO^?₂, SO^2?₄, and EDTA had no effect on the activity of this enzyme in soils. The initial rates of Pi released obeyed zero-order kinetics. The temperature dependence of the rate constant conformed to the Arrhenius equation up to the point of enzyme inactivation (55°C). The activation energy of pyrophosphatase activity of the six soils studied ranged from 32.5 to 43.2 (av 36.1) kJ·mole^?1. Application of the three linear transformations of the Michaelis-Menten equation indicated that the K_m values of PPi for pyrophosphatase in four soils ranged from 20 to 51 (avg. 35) mM and that the V_max ranged from 130 to 830 (av 500) μg Pi released g^?1 soil·5 h^?1. Studies of other properties of inorganic pyrophosphatase activity in soils are reported.     

Umsatz von 15N-Harnstoff und 15N-Ammonsulfatsalpeter mit Zusatz von Dicyandiamid unter anaeroben Bedingungen im Boden

Turnover of ¹⁵N-urea and ¹⁵N-ammonium sulfa-nitrate with addition of dicyandiamide under anaerobic conditions in the soil In model trials, the turnover of ¹⁵N-urea (UR) and ¹⁵N-ammonium sulfa-nitrate (ASN) was studied with and without dicyandiamide (DCD) after 42 days of preincubation at 14°C followed by waterlogging with a solution of glucose. By use of DCD, nitrification was considerably retarded, and therefore losses by denitrification were markedly reduced from 62 to 39% (UR) and 65 to 32% (ASN). DCD-application resulted in an increased incorporation of labelled N into the non exchangeable soil N-fraction. This incorporation amounted to more than 60% of the applied N, whereas in the case of the treatments without DCD the incorporation was only in the range of 35 to 38%.     

The influence of rhizosphere microflora on the availability of 32P-myoinositol hexaphosphate phosphorus to wheat

Experiments with wheat grown in nutrient solution and in a sandy soil showed that ³²P activity, supplied as ³²P-myoinositol hexaphosphate (IH ³²P), was translocated to the tops of aseptic plants. The proportion of the added ³²P activity recovered in the tops of solution grown plants was influenced by the concentration of IH ³²P, decreasing from 8 per cent with 10 μg P/ml to 0.4 per cent with 0.2 μg P/ml.With concentrations of IH ³²P equivalent to 0.2 parts/10⁶ P, inoculation of the root zone of soil grown plants with soil bacterial isolates shown to possess phytase activity, or with a mixed rhizosphere flora had no effect on the incorporation of ³²P into the wheat plants. It is considered unlikely, with the concentration of inositol hexaphosphates normally present in soil solution, that soil microflora will increase the dephosphorylation of these compounds at root surfaces above the activity due to plant enzymes.     

Phosphate desorption from the surface of soil mineral particles by a phosphate-solubilizing fungus

High phosphate (Pi) sorption in soils is a serious limiting factor for plant productivity and Pi fertilization efficiency, particularly in highly weathered and volcanic ash soils. In these soils, the sorbed Pi is so strongly held on the surfaces of reactive minerals that it is not available for plant root uptake. The use of phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) capable of Pi desorption seems to be a complementary alternative in the management of these soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the soil fungus Mortierella sp., a known PSM, to desorb Pi from four soil minerals differing in their Pi sorption capacity. The fungus was effective in desorbing Pi from all tested minerals except from allophane, and its desorption depended on the production of oxalic acid. The effectiveness of the fungus to desorb Pi was ranked as montmorillonite > kaolinite > goethite > allophane. The quantity of desorbed Pi increased by increasing the amount of sorbed Pi. The Pi sorption capacity expressed as P_0.2 value (amount of P required to increase a solution P concentration up to 0.2 mg L^?1) was a good indicator of the effectiveness of Mortierella sp. to desorb Pi from soil minerals.     

Phosphorus fractions and dynamics as affected by land-use changes in the Central Mexican highlands

Land-use change from forest to agriculture in the volcanic ash-derived soils of Mexico has increased over recent decades. It is likely that land uses and management practices, particularly fertilizer use have affected phosphorus (P) distribution and availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of land-use types (native forest and maize mono-cropping), and the related P addition, on the forms and distribution of soil P and their isotopic exchangeability. An Andisol, sampled from a cropping site, along with the contiguous area under native forest was treated with ³²P-labelled potassium phosphate (KH₂³²PO₄). The soil samples were extracted after incubation times of 7, 21, 35 and 49 days. Phosphorus content and ³²P recovery in fractions sequentially extracted were assessed for each incubation time. Total soil P was dominated by inorganic fractions (79 to 86%) in both land-use types. Resin-Pi, bicarbonate extractable inorganic P (Bic-Pi) and sodium hydroxide extractable inorganic P (NaOH_0.1-Pi) were all raised with P addition. However, the proportion of organic P fraction was reduced under cropped soil. The recovery of ³²P in soils with P addition indicates that resin-Pi, Bic-Pi and NaOH_0.1-Pi comprised nearly all the exchangeable P. In native soils with no P addition, more than 19% of the ³²P was recovered in Bic-Po and NaOH_0.1-Po forms. This finding indicates that organic P cycling is crucial when soil Pi reserves are presented in an inadequate amount. Ecologically based management has to be designed for replenishment and succeeding maintenance of soil organic P compounds to increase sustainable agricultural production.     

Correlations between Kinetic Parameters of Phosphate Uptake and Internal Phosphorus Concentrations in Maize Plants: Making it Possible to Estimate the Status of Phosphate Uptake according to Shoot Phosphorus Concentrations

Abstract

The relationship between internal phosphorus (P) concentration [P] and kinetics of phosphate (Pi) uptake was investigated in maize seedlings grown hydroponically at different Pi concentrations (0.1–1,000 µM) and in the phase of Pi deprivation (0–10 d). The results indicated when the internal [P] was higher than 85 µmol g^?1 dw, apparent K_m, C_min, and V_max were significantly (P<0.01) related to [P]s in shoots and roots; when the internal [P] was lower than 85 µmol g^?1 dw, K_m and C_min were small and only V_max was significantly related (P<0.01) to internal [P]s. Three equations were deduced from the linear regressions of the kinetic parameters and [P]s in shoots. Using these equations, the values of apparent K_m, C_min, and V_max of Pi uptake of seedlings grown in different circumstances were calculated according to [P]s in shoots. In all the circumstances involved, for K_m and C_min, there was a parallel relationship between the values estimated by [P]s in shoots and by the Pi‐depletion technique; for V_max, the values estimated by [P]s in shoots were consistent with those obtained from Pi‐depletion experiments except the period of supplying Pi to the Pi‐starved seedlings over several days. These results indicated it is possible to estimate the Pi‐uptake status according to shoot P concentrations in maize plants under experimental conditions, which might be helpful to estimate in‐season status of Pi uptake of maize plants in the field.     

Evaluation of Phosphorus Pools and Fractions in an Acid Tropical Soil Recapitalized with Different Phosphorus Sources

Abstract

Bray 1 phosphorus (B1P) and sequential phosphorus (P) fractions were determined on soils treated with triple superphosphate (TSP), Gafsa (GPR), and Christmas Island phosphate rocks (CIPR), respectively, with and without manure. The fractions extracted in decreasing lability were iron oxide–impregnated paper strip P (Pi‐strip P), inorganic (Pi), and organic (Po) bicarbonate (NaHCO3‐Pi and ‐Po), hydroxide [sodium hydroxide (NaOH)‐Pi and ‐Po], hydrochloric acid (HCl) P, and residual (residue P). The magnitude of B1P was in the order TSP>GPR=CIPR. Average B1P from PRs was two‐fold the amount in TSP, whereas that of the fractions was NaOH‐P>Residue P<sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) P<Pi‐strip P <HCl. Bray 1 extracted mainly the most labile fractions (Pi‐strip P and NaHCO3‐Pi), and plant P uptake was correlated mainly to NaOH‐Po and NaHCO₃‐Pi. Magnitude of various fractions differed between TSP and PRs. Both B1P and the fractions were equally correlated to P uptake (R²=0.38**). Nevertheless, sequential fractionation appears to be a powerful tool to identify the P status and availability in soil.     

Evaluation of anion exchange membranes to estimate bioavailable phosphorus in native grasslands of semi‐arid Northwestern Australia

Abstract

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) were used to assess the P status of semi‐arid sub‐tropical soils of high P sorption capacity from the Pilbara region in northwestern Australia. We determined the most appropriate procedure for using AEMs in these soils using a factorial of extraction ratios and shaking times and compared the method with extraction by water. Significantly more inorganic P (Pi) was extracted by the membranes (AEM‐Pi) than by water, and the amount extracted increased with extraction time but was generally independent of the extraction ratio. Maximum AEM‐Pi was 3.61 μg g^‐1 after eight hour extraction. The AEM procedure was compared with traditional extraction procedures using 0.5 M sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) and 0.1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to assess ability to detect spatial heterogeneity. The amount of Pi extracted decreased in the order: AEM>NaOH>NaHCO_3* The AEM method detected a significant effect of depth on Pi (P=0.0001), while the NaOH method detected both site and treatment effects (P<0.05). Inorganic P extracted by NaHCO₃ did not vary by site, treatment, or depth. Coefficients of variation were generally least using the AEM method. We recommend that studies of spatial and temporal dynamics of P on highly‐weathered soils in semi‐arid regions include measurement of both AEM‐Pi and NaOH‐extractable Pi.     

THE PATH OF CARBON IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS. XXVI. UPTAKE AND TRANSPORT OF METHYLGLUCOPYRANOSIDE THROUGHOUT PLANTS

¹⁴Carbon methyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (¹⁴C-MeG) was applied to roots and shoots of Beta vulgaris L. and the label was tracked as it was transported and assimilated, primarily as a plant nutrient. Foliar application resulted in 6.7% of the ¹⁴C-MeG absorbed within 15 min of the solution drying into leaves. Roots in liquid medium with dissolved ¹⁴C-MeG absorbed approximately 97% of the ¹⁴C-label in 22 h. Whether fed in the light or dark, 40% of the ¹⁴C-MeG that was applied appeared in the cellulose fraction, incorporated completely intact. Rapid incorporation of ¹⁴C-MeG into the insoluble fraction with few ¹⁴C-labeled metabolites found in the soluble fraction were observed. In contrast to roots, a higher percentage of ¹⁴C-MeG was incorporated into starch and lipids of shoots.     

Soil inorganic P fractions in a long-term fertility experiment on the Loess Plateau of China

Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for plant growth, so proper application of P fertilizers to farmland is necessary. High levels of P fertilization often cause P accumulation in soil and thereby increase P loss to the environment. The effect of long-term P fertilization on soil inorganic P (Pi) fractions and available P (Pa) stocks were investigated in order to provide a reference for rational management of P fertilization. A 27-year experiment was initiated in September 1984 in Changwu County on the southern part of the Loess Plateau, northern China. The experiment included five treatments of P fertilization: 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 kg P ha^?1. With zero P application, soil Pi fractions decreased and were even depleted over time. In fertilized plots, soil Pi content in available and unavailable fractions increased over time, regardless of the application rate. P fertilization increased the content and change rate of soil Pi fractions between three sampling times (1991, 2001, and 2011). Soil Pa stocks and plant P uptake increased with increasing application rate of 20–60 kg P ha^?1, indicating increased input and output of P in the soil–plant system. Higher application rates (≥60 kg P ha^?1) did not change soil Pa stocks or plant P uptake but increased the annual change rate of Pi fractions, maintaining a balance between the supply and demand of P. This study has implications for reducing P fertilization level and decreasing associated environmental risks in agricultural soil on the Loess Plateau.     

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) varieties reveal substantial and contrasting organic phosphorus use efficiencies (PoUE) under symbiotic conditions

Background

The excessive use of inorganic P (Pi) in soils is alarming as it is causing numerous environmental problems and may lead to the depletion of rock phosphate reserves earlier than expected. Hence, to limit the over-dependence on Pi, there is the need to investigate organic phosphorus (Po), which is the dominant P form of soil P pool, as an alternate P source for plant growth.

Aim

The present study seeks to investigate organic P use efficiency of eight varieties of faba bean grown symbiotically.

Methods

The plants were grown in pots (6 kg soil) under greenhouse condition with three P source, namely, phytic acid (organic P, Po), KH₂PO₄ (inorganic P, Pi), and no-P. The P was applied at the rate of 1.79 g kg⁻¹ soil.

Results

The plants grown with Po and Pi produced similar amounts of root, shoot, and total dry matters. Despite producing statistically similar dry matters, P uptake by Pi-fertilized plants was twofold higher than by Po-fertilized plants. Meanwhile, Pi differed significantly from Po in terms of nodulation characteristics such as nodule dry biomass and individual nodule dry biomass. However, Po varied significantly from Pi in P utilization and acquisition efficiencies. Principal component analysis of Pi and Po revealed no significant variation and close association, confirming the nonsignificant differences between the two P treatments. Among the varieties tested, Tiffany tended to accumulate more dry matter, coupled with highest organic P utilization efficiency (0.48 g mg⁻¹) as well as the highest organic P beneficiary factor (80%).

Conclusion

These results provide a solid basis for further comparisons at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels between Tiffany (Po-efficient) and Fuego (Po-inefficient) varieties, offering deep insights into and making it easier to understand the mechanisms that allow soil Po to be utilized under symbiotic conditions.     

The Effect of Light on the Accumulation of Lipids in Seeds

To investigate the effects of light on the accumulation of lipids in seeds, fruits of both peanut and soybean plants were allowed to grow under different types of light conditions (natural, red, blue, green, or far-red light) and in darkness. Irradiation with each type of light from the 20th or 30th day, except for green light from the 30th day, resulted in lower dry weight of peanut seeds. The peanut seeds irradiated with natural, blue or far-red light from the 30th day onward contained a smaller amount of lipids, lower levels of triacylglycerides (TG), and higher levels of total sugar and diacylglycerides (DG), than the seeds grown in darkness. In the case of soybean seeds grown in darkness, the lipid content increased, but the total sugar and protein contents decreased. Exposure of soybean seeds to far-red light did not result in an increase in the lipid content. In vitro, ¹⁴C-glycerol-3-phosphate was converted to DG rather than to TG under irradiation with light compared with dark conditions. In contrast, the effect of light on the incorporation of ¹⁴C-oleoyl-CoA into TG was not appreciable. These findings suggest that the accumulation of lipid in the seeds of leguminous plants is depressed by light, with far-red light affecting most the accumulation of lipids, which may regulate the synthesis of TG via DG from glycerol-3-phosphate.     

Relationship of Soil Phosphorus Pools with Bray 1 Phosphorus in Some Acid Soils of Central Southern Cameroon

We measured phosphorus (P) chemical pools of genetic horizons of five representative pedons from central southern Cameroon. Our objectives were to assess the relative abundance of P pools and to empirically model their interrelations and contributions to a P availability index. The fractionation scheme followed a modified Hedley sequential procedure with anion exchange resin, 0.5 M sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃; Pi and Po), 0.1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH; Pi and Po), 0.5 M hydrochloric acid (HCl; Pi), and 2 M sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) after soil ignition at 550 ^oC. Resin P, sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃-P; Pi and Po), and HCl-Pi–extractable pools accounted for 1.0, 5.7 and 0.7 % of total P (TP) respectively. The NaOH-P and residual P pools measured through 2 M H₂SO₄ emerged as the largest and most variable pools, accounting for 86.2% of TP. The relative abundance of extracted P pools decreased in the order resin P < NaHCO₃-P ≤ HCl-P < NaOH-P < H₂SO₄-P. Bray 1 P was significantly correlated with all P pools except NaHCO₃-Pi, NaOH-Pi, and residual pools.     

Quantifying dung carbon incorporation by earthworms in pasture soils

The effect of different earthworm functional groups on the incorporation of maize (C4 plant) dung into a soil (C3 organic matter background) sown with ryegrass (C3 plant) was explored by using differences in the carbon (C) isotope ratios (¹²C and ¹³C) between plant and soil samples in a field mesocosm study. The abundance of earthworms increased with dung inputs, reaching over 4000 earthworms per m², presumably because of the increased food resources used. The amount of dung C incorporated into the soil profile in the presence of earthworms was dependent on the amount of organic matter deposited on the soil surface (925–4620 g C m^?2) and reached rates of 1200 g C m^?2 annually in the treatment receiving repeat dung applications. Dung incorporation was largely concentrated in the surface 0–75 mm, although small amounts of dung‐derived C were observed to a depth of 300 mm. This was especially so in the presence of anecic earthworms, equating to an extra 70 g C m^?2 annually for the 150–300 mm depth increment. It is important to note, in calculating C incorporation rates from earthworms, that only 10–20% of the soil surface in grazed pastures is covered by dung. After 444 days, less than 32% of the applied dung was detected within the upper 300 mm of the soil profile. This study emphasized the need for all three earthworm functional groups to be present within the soil in order to maximize the amount of surface dung that could be incorporated into soil organic matter.     

The fat that matters: Soil food web analysis using fatty acids and their carbon stable isotope signature

Chemical taxonomy based upon the composition of lipids is widely applied to investigate microbial communities and fatty acids have recently been employed to connect soil microbial and faunal food webs as well as to elucidate functional groups at higher trophic levels. The additional use of compound-specific isotopic analysis of ¹³C/¹²C ratios in fatty acids allows assessing specific trophic links and belowground carbon fluxes. In this review systematic patterns and processes underlying variations in the composition of fatty acids and their ¹³C/¹²C ratio are described. The emphasis is on biomarker fatty acids, their incorporation and modification, effects of pool size, and analytical methods. Further development of the application of fatty acid profiling to soil ecology should include both advances in experimental research and growth of theory. Accordingly, areas in which future experimentation can lead to progress in soil food web analysis are identified. Overall, combining fatty acid biomarker and their isotopic ratios will allow detailed insight into belowground trophic interactions.     

Effect of earthworm casts on protein synthesis in radish (Raphanus sativum) and lettuce (Lactuga sativa) seedlings

Summary The protein-synthesizing capacity of 3-day-old seedlings of radish and lettuce grown in the presence of earthworm casts was investigated using L-¹⁴-C-leucine incorporation. The results showed that earthworm casts increased protein synthesis by 24% for lettuce and 32% for radish, althought no significant differences in protein content were evident.     

Einfluß von NaCI-Salinität auf die CO2-Assimilation und auf den Einbau von 14C in verschiedene Inhaltsstoffe bei jungem Sommerweizen

Effect of NaCI salinity on CO₂ assimilation and incorporation of ¹⁴C in various chemical fractions of young wheat plants The effect of an increasing NaCI salinity on CO₂ assimilation and on the distribution of ¹⁴C in various chemical fractions of young wheat plants was studied. Increasing salinity restricted growth and in particular ¹⁴CO₂ assimilation being measured at the end of the experimental period. Correspondingly the amounts of ¹⁴C found in the various chemical fractions (amino acids, organic anions, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, insoluble residue) were decreased with an increase in salinity. The relative distribution of ¹⁴C in the chemical fractions also was affected by salinity. At low salinity level a relatively low ¹⁴C concentration was found in the low molecular fractions, while the high molecular fractions showed a relatively high ¹⁴C concentration. At high salinity level this tendency was only weakly evident. Increasing salinity had no major impact on the nutrient concentrations (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) in the shoots, whereas the concentration of Na and especially of CI was remarkably raised. It is assumed that this excessive Na and CI concentrations in the shoots are resulting in the yield depression.     

农牧交错带土壤磷素动态研究

对海拔2600～3000m农牧交替带不同退化程度的草原、草原开垦后土壤磷素变化进行了系统研究。退化草原包括:轻度(LDP),中度(MDP)和重度(HDP)3种类型,耕种土壤开垦年限从1至50年不等,土壤样品取自甘肃省7县市18个地点,主要土壤类型为黑钙土。通过进行磷的分级发现,草原开垦后土壤有机磷组分明显下降。种植8、16、41年后土壤有机磷分别下降8%、20%和36%;区域性土壤分析结果亦表明,耕种30年以上的土壤有机磷平均下降35%。有机质矿化,土壤侵蚀后由于耕作措施造成的底土与表土混合,以及无机磷肥的施用使得耕种土壤中Ca-P明显增加。NaOH浸提的潜在活性有机磷,随着草原退化程度的增加和耕作年限的延长有递减的趋势。活性有机磷与总有机磷显著相关(R2=0.63),而活性有机磷的多寡与耕种和施肥明显相关。