URANIUM ACCUMULATION IN SOILS FROM LONG-CONTINUED APPLICATIONS OF SUPERPHOSPHATE

This paper describes the accumulation of uranium in soils from superphosphate applied annually to arable and grassland soils. Rates of application of superphosphate were equivalent to about 33kg P and 15 gU ha^?1 year^?1 in three experiments at Rothamsted and to about 37 kg P and 16g U ha ^?1 year ^?1 in one experiment in New Zealand. Most of the uranium (about 1300 g U ha ^?1) applied in superphosphate to the clay loam soil at Rothamsted since 1889 was retained, like P, in the plough layer of arable soils or was adsorbed by the organic surface layers of soils under permanent grassland. Uranium applied in superphosphate to grassland in New Zealand since 1954 (about 330 g U ha^?1) was also concentrated in the surface layers of the soil.     

Phosphorus in the soil microbial biomass

Phosphorus in the soil microbial biomass (biomass P) and soil biomass carbon (biomass C) were linearly related in 15 soils (8 grassland, 6 arable, 1 deciduous woodland), with a mean P concentration of 3.3% in the soil biomass. The regression accounted for 82% of the variance in the data. The relationship was less close than that previously measured between soil biomass C and soil ATP content and indicates that biomass P measurements can only provide a rough estimate of biomass C content. Neither P concentration in the soil biomass, nor the amount of biomass P in soil, were correlated with soil NaHCO₃-extractable inorganic, organic or total P.The calculated mean annual flux of P through the biomass (in a soil depth of 10 cm) in 8 grassland soils was large, 23 kg P ha^?1 yr^?1, and more than three times the mean annual P flux through 6 arable soils (7 kg P ha^?1 yr^?1), suggesting that biomass P could make a significant contribution to plant P nutrition in grassland.About 3% of the total soil organic P in the arable soils was in microbial biomass and from 5 to 24% in the grassland soils. The decline in biomass P when an old grassland soil was put into an arable rotation for about 20 yr was sufficient to account for about 50% of the decline in total soil organic P during this period. When an old arable soil reverted to woodland, soil organic P doubled in 100 yr; biomass P increased 11-fold during the same period.     

Phosphorus balances for arable soils in Southern England 1986–1999

The behaviour of P in a range of English arable soils was examined by plotting the change in resin P in the topsoil (ΔPres) at the end of a 3‐ to 5‐year period, against the P balance over the same period (fertilizer P applied minus offtake in crops, estimated from farmers’ reported yields and straw removal). Based on the assumption that values for offtake per tonne of crop yield used for UK arable crops are valid averages, 20–60% of ΔPres was explained by the balance. Applying excess P fertilizer increased Pres, and reducing P fertilizer use decreased it; typically 3–4 kg P ha^?1 was required for each mg L^?1ΔPres (6–8 kg ha^?1 for each mg L^?1 of Olsen P). About half the P balance seems to be resin extractable and this differed little between soil groups, except in cases of very low P (index 0) in which the P buffering was stronger, and on very high P soils (index 4/5) when buffering was less. However, on calcareous soils and red soils, when fertilizer was applied in accord with offtake, Pres fell by up to 4 mg L^?1 year^?1 (2 mg L^?1 yr^?1 olsen P) and to prevent this an extra 3–10 kg P ha^?1 year^?1 fertilizer was required. But on most non‐calcareous soils, replacing offtake maintained Pres, with perhaps slight rises on soils of low clay content or greater organic matter content. In soils under arable rotations, the apparent recovery of P from fertilizer was often around 100%, falling to 85% on Chalk soils and 75% on medium–heavy soils on limestone or Lower Chalk. The fate of the ‘missing’ P needs clarification. The case for corrections to current P fertilizer recommendations in the UK on certain soil types is discussed.     

Potential hazards of lime application in a damaged pine forest ecosystem in Berlin,Germany

Ninety percent of the pines (P. Sylvestris) in the forests of Berlin (West) are classified as damaged. Needle and leaf analyses do not indicate nutrient deficiencies. In site of high S-inputs (55 kg ha^?1 yr^?1 with throughfall) total acid inputs are moderate (2.4 kmol ha^?1 yr^?1) due to their neutralization by carbonatic dusts. Heavy metal depositions have led to accumulations in the forest floor (e.g. Pb 150 mg kg^?1, Cd 0.5 mg kg^?1). The dominating soil type, a cambic arenosol (Ustipsamment) is strongly acidified (pH 3.2 – 4.0) and poor in available nutrients. On an experimental plot, the application of dolomitic lime (6.1 tons ha^?1) and fertilizer (145 kg ha^?1 K₂SO₄) led to a significant increase m pH and base saturation in the top 10 cm of the mineral soil after 2 yr. The data on element fluxes give evidence for increased mineralization rates, enhanced heavy metal accumulation in the forest floor and increased soil solution concentrations of potentially hazardous substances (Al, Cd, NO₃). The lime application is discussed in terms of site specific effects on ecosystem stability and groundwater quality.     

Cadmium leaching from some New Zealand pasture soils

Cadmium (Cd) inputs and losses from agricultural soils are of great importance because of the potential adverse effects Cd can pose to food quality, soil health and the environment in general. One important pathway for Cd losses from soil systems is by leaching. We investigated loss of Cd from a range of contrasting New Zealand pasture soils that had received Cd predominantly from repeated applications of phosphate fertilizer. Annual leaching losses of Cd ranged between 0.27 and 0.86 g ha^–l, which are less than most losses recorded elsewhere. These losses equate to between 5 and 15% of the Cd added to soil through a typical annual application of single superphosphate, which in New Zealand contains on average 280 mg Cd kg^?1 P. It appears that Cd added to soil from phosphate fertilizer is fairly immobile and Cd tends to accumulate in the topsoil. The pH of the leachate and the total volume of drainage to some extent control the amount of Cd leached. Additional factors, such as the soil sorption capacity, are also important in controlling Cd movement in these pasture soils. The prediction of the amount of Cd leached using the measured concentrations of Cd in the soil solution and rainfall data resulted in an overestimation of Cd losses. Cadmium concentrations in drainage water are substantially less than the current maximum acceptable value of 3 µg l^?1 for drinking water in New Zealand set by the Ministry of Health.     

Agricultural zinc fluxes into soils and crops of central Iran at regional scale

Mass flux assessment can provide information that is essential for a sustainable management of elements in agricultural soils. In this article, we present an assessment of regional-scale averages of zinc (Zn) fluxes into agricultural soils and crops of central Iran for the period 1997–2011, using available databases such as regional agricultural statistics. The basic units of the balances were 15 townships of the provinces Qom, Isfahan and Fars. Averaged over the entire study region, the net Zn input into arable soil resulting from all fertilizer inputs – Zn removal with harvested crops was 1515 g ha^?1 yr^?1 across the entire region, with a range of 438–3009 g ha^?1 yr^?1 among townships. Estimated average Zn inputs with manure, mineral fertilizers, sewage sludge and compost were 1254, 531, 19 and 7 g ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively. The input-to-output ratio of these fluxes ranged from 1.8 to 12.9 among townships and averaged 6.1 for the entire study area. Considering that outputs other than with crop harvests are minor, Zn stocks are rapidly building up in the soils of the study region. Uncertainties in the manure and crop removal data were the main sources of estimation uncertainty in this study.     

Nitrogen Balance in the Magruder Plots Following 109 Years in Continuous Winter Wheat

Abstract

The Magruder plots are the oldest continuous soil fertility wheat research plots in the Great Plains region, and are one of the oldest continuous soil fertility wheat plots in the world. They were initiated in 1892 by Alexander C. Magruder who was interested in the productivity of native prairie soils when sown continuously to winter wheat. This study reports on a simple estimate of nitrogen (N) balance in the Magruder plots, accounting for N applied, N removed in the grain, plant N loss, denitrification, non‐symbiotic N fixation, nitrate (NO₃ ^?) leaching, N applied in the rainfall, estimated total soil N (0–30 cm) at the beginning of the experiment and that measured in 2001. In the Manure plots, total soil N decreased from 6890 kg N ha^?1 in the surface 0–30 cm in 1892, to 3198 kg N ha^?1 in 2002. In the Check plots (no nutrients applied for 109 years) only 2411 kg N ha^?1 or 35% of the original total soil organic N remains. Nitrogen removed in the grain averaged 38.4 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1 and N additions (manure, N in rainfall, N via symbiotic N fixation) averaged 44.5 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1 in the Manure plots. Following 109 years, unaccounted N ranged from 229 to 1395 kg N ha^?1. On a by year basis, this would translate into 2–13 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1 that were unaccounted for, increasing with increased N application. For the Manure plots, the estimate of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) (N removed in the grain, minus N removed in the grain of the Check plots, divided by the rate of N applied) was 32.8%, similar to the 33% NUE for world cereal production reported in 1999.     

Changes in carbon stocks of Danish agricultural mineral soils between 1986 and 2009

To establish a national inventory of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and their change over time, soil was sampled in 1986, 1997 and 2009 in a Danish nation‐wide 7‐km grid and analysed for SOC content. The average SOC stock in 0–100‐cm depth soil was 142 t C ha^?1, with 63, 41 and 38 t C ha^?1 in the 0–25, 25–50 and 50–100 cm depths, respectively. Changes at 0–25 cm were small. During 1986–97, SOC in the 25–50‐cm layer increased in sandy soils while SOC decreased in loam soils. In the subsequent period (1997–2009), most soils showed significant losses of SOC. From 1986 to 2009, SOC at 0–100 cm decreased in loam soils and tended to increase in sandy soils. This trend is ascribed to dairy farms with grass leys being abundant on sandy soils while cereal cropping dominates on loamy soils. A statistical model including soil type, land use and management was applied separately to 0–25, 25–50 and 50–100 cm depths to pinpoint drivers for SOC change. In the 0–25 cm layer, grass leys added 0.95 t C ha^?1 year^?1 and autumn‐sown crops with straw incorporation added 0.40 t C ha^?1 year^?1. Cattle manure added 0.21 t C ha^?1 year^?1. Most interestingly, grass leys contributed 0.58 t C ha^?1 year^?1 at 25–50 cm, confirming that inventories based only on top‐soils are incomplete. We found no significant effects in 50–100 cm. Our study indicates a small annual loss of 0.2 t C ha^?1 from the 0–100 cm soil layer between 1986 and 2009.     

Long-term changes in soil and plant metal concentrations in an acidic dredge disposal site receiving sewage sludge

A long-term experiment was conducted to determine the distribution of sludge-borne metals applied to a revegetated acidic dredge spoil disposal site. The initial soil was infertile and highly acidic (pH 2.4). Sewage sludge and lime were applied in 1974 at the rates of 100 and 23 mt ha^?1, respectively, and tilled into the soil to a depth of 20 cm. In 1974 an adjacent site was also revegetated with topsoil and lime but without sludge. Soil and plants were sampled 2, 4 and 16 yr following seeding. After 16 yr the total and DTPA-extractable Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Ni and Cd decreased in soils to nearly the levels of the control soils. Concentrations of metals in plants also decreased. Decreases in tissue concentrations ranged from 40 to 70% for Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni and Cd and up to 90% for Zn. The results showed that a single 100 mt ha^?1 application of sewage sludge containing high concentrations of metals was a cost-effective method for improving plant growing conditions on highly acidic soils.

     

Proton Budget for a Japanese Cedar Forest Ecosystem

The proton budget for a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) forest in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, was studied by estimating biogeochemical fluxes. The proton budgets were estimated for three individual compartments of the ecosystem: vegetation canopy, and the upper (O horizon + 0–10 cm) and lower (10–100 cm) soil layers. The dominant proton sources in the compartments were atmospheric deposition (1.2 kmol ha^?1 yr^?1), nitrification (5.1 kmol, ha^?1 yr^?1) and base-cation uptake by vegetation (8.0 kmol, ha^?1 yr^?1) respectively. These proton sources were neutralized almost completely within the individual compartments mainly by base-cation release from the canopy or the soil. The sum of internal proton sources was five times as large as that of external ones. Nitrogen input from the atmosphere was 2.2 kmol ha^?1 yr^?1, whereas its output from the lower soil layer was 3.9 kmol ha^?1 yr^?1, indicating that a net loss of nitrogen occurred in the ecosystem. However, this did not cause the acidification of soil leachates because of a sufficient release rate of base cations from the soil.     

Tillage Effects on Particulate and Mineral‐Associated Organic Matter in Two Tropical Brazilian Soils

Abstract

Two Ferralsols (350 and 600 g kg^?1 clay) from the Brazilian Cerrado Region were evaluated for long‐term effects (5 and 8 years) of no tillage on carbon (C) stocks in particulate (>53 µm) and mineral‐associated (<53 µm) soil organic matter (SOM) fractions. Carbon stocks in particulate SOM increased under no tillage compared with conventional tillage, and the rate was higher in the clayey soil (0.62 Mg C ha^?1 yr^?1) than in the sandy clay loam soil (0.31 Mg C ha^?1 yr^?1). In contrast, the mineral‐associated SOM in the top soil layer (0–20 cm) was not affected by tillage system. Sequestration of atmospheric C in tropical no‐tillage soils seems to be due to accumulation of C in labile SOM fractions, with highest rates in clayey soils probably due to physical protection.     

Trace element release from forest floor can be monitored by ion exchange resin tubes

Risk assessment of heavy metal input into forest ecosystems requires information about metal fluxes from the forest floor (organic layer) into the mineral soil. Common methods for the monitoring of element fluxes are generally time‐consuming and expensive. Additionally, the reliability of the results is in part contested especially for trace elements, showing very low concentrations which are sometimes even below analytical detection limit. We used ion exchange resin tubes installed below the forest floor to determine heavy metal and As fluxes at 25 forest monitoring sites in Germany. Chloride tracer experiments and the comparison of our data with throughfall and lysimeter data, determined within the Level II monitoring network, proved the accuracy of our method. Mean trace element fluxes based on the resin method were 50 g As ha^–1 yr^–1, 2 g Cd ha^–1 yr^–1, 168 g Cu ha^–1 yr^–1, 176 g Ni ha^–1 yr^–1, and 186 g Pb ha^–1 yr^–1.The results show that the organic layer may change into a source of heavy metals after emission has decreased.     

Nitrate leaching from the Broadbalk Wheat Experiment, Rothamsted, UK, as influenced by fertilizer and manure inputs and the weather

Abstract. Nitrate leaching was measured over the eight drainage seasons spanning the nine years from 1990–1998 on the 157‐year old Broadbalk Experiment at Rothamsted, UK. The weather pattern of two dry, three wet and three dry years was the dominant factor controlling nitrogen (N) loss. Both the concentration of nitrate in the drainage waters and the amount of N leached increased with the amount of N applied, mostly because of long‐term, differential increases in soil organic matter and mineralization. On average, losses of N by leaching were 30 kg ha^?1yr^?1 when no more than the optimum N application was applied and were typical of amounts leached from arable land in the UK. Losses increased significantly in both amounts and as the percentage of N applied for supra‐optimal applications of N and from autumn‐applied farmyard manure (FYM). Extra spring‐applied fertilizer was very effective at increasing yields on plots given FYM in the autumn but at the expense of leaching losses three times those from optimum fertilizer N applications. Losses increased after potatoes because they left significant amounts of mineral N in the soil, and decreased after forage maize because it used applied N more effectively. Losses measured 120 years ago from identical treatments were 74% greater than current losses because of today's larger yields and more efficient varieties and management practices. Average concentrations of nitrate in drainage waters did not exceed the EU limit of 11.3 mg NO₃‐N l^?1 until supra‐optimal amounts of N fertilizer (>150–200 kg ha^?1yr^?1) were applied in spring or FYM was applied in autumn. However some drainage waters from all plots, even those that have not received fertilizer for >150 years, exceeded the limit when rain followed a dry summer and autumn. Nitrate leaching into waters will remain a problem for profitable arable farming in the drier parts of Eastern England and Europe despite increased N use efficiency.     

Nutrient fluxes from a soil treatment process for pig slurry

Abstract. The effects of pig slurry applications to a hydrologically isolated field treatment plant (at Solepur) were studied over a period of eight years. Thirty repeated doses, averaging 160 m³ ha^?1 were applied from April to October of each year (1991–1995), to reach a total application of 4930 m³ ha^?1. All slurry samples were analysed for their total solids (TS), macronutrient (C, N, P, K, Ca) and micronutrient (Cu, Zn) content. In total, 284 tonnes of total solids (57 t TS ha^?1 yr^?1), 115 tonnes of carbon (23 t C ha^?1yr^?1), 24.5 tonnes of nitrogen (4900 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1), 7964 kg of phosphorus (1593 kg P ha^?1 yr^?1), 16 518 kg of potassium (3304 kg K ha^?1 yr^?1), 183 kg copper (37 kg Cu ha^?1 yr^?1) and 266 kg zinc (53 kg Zn ha^?1 yr^?1) were applied to the soil. Thus, this site provides an opportunity to assess the balance and to examine the long‐term behaviour of nutrients under conditions of intensive land application of pig slurries or similar effluents. The main nutrient fluxes through the soil‐water system were determined for each element. Over 40% of the total carbon applied was retained by the soil. About 25% of the slurry nitrogen applied remained in the soil profile and 12.5% was leached through the drainage water as nitrate. Most of the slurry phosphorus applied was retained in the soil profile either as P‐Dyer extractable (83%), or as total soil phosphorus (112%); <0.01% was found in the drainage water. Forty‐three per cent of the potassium applied in the slurry was recovered from the soil profile and 15% was recovered in the drainage water. Most of the copper (62%) and zinc (74%) applied in the slurry remained in the soil as EDTA extractractable forms; very low percentages (0.05% and 0.6% respectively) were found in the drainage water.     

Critical loads for nitrogen deposition on forest ecosystems

Critical loads for N deposition are derived from an ecosystem's anion and cation balance assuming that the processes determining ecosystem stability are soil acidification and nitrate leaching. Depending on the deposition of S, the parent soil material, and the site quality critical N deposition rates will range between 20 to 200 mmol m^?2 yr^?1 (3 to 14 kg ha^?1 yr^?1) on silicate soils and reach 20 to 390 mmol m^?2 yr^?1 (3 to 48 kg ha^?1) on calcareous soils.     

Long-term nitrogen balance for pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) in an acid sandy soil of Niger

On acid sandy soils of Niger (West Africa) fertilizer N recovery by pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is often more than 100 per cent in years with normal or above average rainfall. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by N₂-fixing bacteria may contribute to the N supply in pearl millet cropping systems. For a long-term field experiment comprising treatments with and without mineral fertilizer (F) and with and without crop residue application (CR) a N balance sheet was calculated over a period of six years (1983-1988). After six years of successive millet cropping total N uptake (36-77 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1) was distinctly higher than the amount of fertilizer N applied (30 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1). The atmospheric input of NH₄-N and NO₃-N in the rainwater was about 2 kg N ha_?1 yr^?1, 70 % in the form of NH₄-N. Gaseous NH₃ losses from urea (broadcast, incorporated) were estimated from other experiments to amount to 36 % of the fertilizer N applied. Nitrogen losses by leaching (15 to > 25 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1) were dependent on the treatment and on the quantity and distribution of single rainfall events (>50 mm). Decline in total soil N content (0-60 cm) ranged from 15 to 48 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1. The long-term N balance (1983-1988) indicated an annual net gain between 6 (+CR-F) and 13 (+CR+F) kg N ha^?1 yr^?1. For the control (-CR-F) the long-term N balance was negative (10 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1). In the treatment with crop residues only, the N balance was mainly determined by leaching losses, whereas in treatments with mineral fertilizer application the N balance depended primarily on N removal by the millet crop. The annual net gain in the N balance increased from 7 kg ha^?1 with mineral fertilizer to 13 kg ha^?1 in the combination mineral fertilizer plus crop residues. In both the rhizosphere and the bulk soil (0-15 cm), between 9 and 45% of the total bacterial population were N₂-fixing (diazotrophic) bacteria. The increased N gain upon crop residue application was positively correlated with an increase in the number of diazotrophic and total bacteria. The data on bacterial numbers suggest that the gain of N in the longterm N balance is most likely due to an N input by biological nitrogen fixation. In addition, evidence exists from related studies that the proliferation of diazotrophs and total bacteria in the rhizosphere due to crop residue application stimulated root growth of pearl millet, and thus improved the phosphorus (P) acquisition in the P deficient soil.     

The flux of Cd,Cu, Pb and Zn in mining polluted soils

The monitoring of heavy metal deposition onto soils surrounding old Pb-Zn mines in two locations in the UK has shown that relatively large amounts of Cd, Pb, Zn and, in one case, Cu are entering the soil annually. Small particles of ore minerals in windblown mine tailings were found to be contributing up to 1.46 g m^?2 yr^?1 of Pb, 1.41 g m^?2 yr^?1 of Zn and 0.027 g m^?2 yr^?1 of Cd. However, when these inputs from bulk deposition are compared with the concentrations of the same metals within the soil profiles it is apparent that relatively little long-term accumulation is occurring. Metals are being lost from the soil profiles, probably through leaching. A calculated relative retention parameter gave values that ranged from 0.01 to 0.17 for Cd, 0.11 to 0.19 for Zn, 0.32 to 0.63 for Cu and over 1 for Pb. These relative retention values were found to follow the order of electronegativity of the elements concerned: Pb>Cu>Zn>Cd. Distribution coefficient (Kd) values quantifying the adsorptive capacity of the mine soils for Cd and Pb showed marked differences for the two metals (12 to 69 cm³ g^?1 for Cd and 14 to 126 cm³ g^?1 for Pb) and may, in part, account for the two to one hundred-fold variation in the relative retention parameter for the different metals within these soils.     

Long‐Term Application of Biosolids on Apricot Production

Abstract

The use and disposal of biosolids, or wastewater treatment sludge, as a fertilizer and soil amendment is becoming increasingly widespread. We evaluated the multiyear use of biosolids in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) production, grown on productive agricultural soils. Class A biosolids were initially applied annually at rates of 0, 1.9, 5.8, and 11.7 Mg · ha^?1 (dry basis) to a 2‐year‐old apricot orchard on the USDA‐ARS research site on the eastern side of the San Joaquin Valley, CA. These application rates provided estimated rates of 0 (control), 57, 170, and 340 kg total N · ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively. Compared to the control treatment, the applications of biosolids significantly increased soil salinity (electrical conductivity from 1:1 soil–water extract) and total concentrations of nutrients [e.g., calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu)] after 7 years but did not increase the concentrations of selected metals [cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb)] between 0‐ and 60‐cm soil depths. Mean concentrations of total nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) in soils (0‐ to 15‐cm depth) ranged from a low of 1.3 g kg^?1 to a high of 5.2 g · kg^?1 and from 14.1 g · kg^?1 to 45.7 g · kg^?1 for the control and high biosolids treated soils, respectively.

Biosolids applications did not lead to fruit yield reductions, although fruit maturation was generally delayed and more fruits appeared at picking times at the high rate of application. Yellow fruits collected from all biosolids applications were significantly firmer than were fruit collected from control trees, and they had higher concentrations of Ca, potassium (K), S, iron (Fe), and Zn in the fruit. Among the fruit quality parameters tested, the juice pH, total acidity, and fruit skin color were not significantly affected by biosolids applications. Malic acid concentrations decreased most of the time, while citric acid concentrations increased with increasing rates of biosolids applications. Overall, our results suggest that nonindustrial biosolids applied at an annual rate at or less than 11.7 Mg N · ha^?1 (340 kg N · ha^?1) can be safely used for apricot production on sandy loam soils.     

Enrichment of trace elements from long-range aerosol transport in sandy podzolic soils of southwest France

Total content of trace elements (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn), was determined to a depth of about 1 m in the horizons of three representative podzolic soils (i.e., wet moor, dry moor, and dune soil) developed on the coarse sands of the Atlantic face of southwest France. In the aged soils (wet moor and dry moor), Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn, were highly concentrated in the B horizons whereas Cd accumulated in the litter. An estimate of metal balance was made in the soil profiles, comparing the total amount of metal recovered in the A-B horizons to the amount of indigenous metal determined in a rock matter (C) layer of a similar depth as the A-B horizons. Substantial long-term enrichment of the whole upper part of the profile (A-B horizons) of three representative sites was found for Cd (0.1–0.6 kg ha^?1), Cu (3–12 kg ha^?1), Ni (1–7 kg ha^?1), Pb (20–26 kg ha^?1), and, to a lesser extent, for Co, Mn, and Zn. Since the experimental site was remote from industrial, urban and agricultural activities, the increase in soil metal content was apparently caused by the deposition of metallic aerosols via long-range transport. Total long-term inputs are estimated for average values of Cd (0.6 kg ha^?1), Cr (5 kg ha^?1), Cu (12 kg ha^?1), Ni (7 kg ha^?1), Pb (25 kg ha^?1) and Zn (6 kg ha^?1) for the 1 m depth. Several Atlantic areas of Europe are probably affected by a similar metal input.     

Effect of integrated nutrient management and crop diversification on productivity and nutrient balance sheet of rice-based cropping systems

A field study conducted for three crop years (June?–?July) from 1995?–?96 to 1997?–?98 at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi involving five rice-based cropping systems and six nutrient combinations indicated that rice?–?wheat?–?mungbean (RWM), rice?–?potato?–?mungbean (RPM), rice?–?rapeseed?–?mungbean (RRsM) and rice?–?clover (RC) cropping systems gave 0.7?–?1.0, 3.2?–?5.9, 0.2?–?2.2 and 1.5?–?3.6 t ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, higher productivity and removed 7.9?–?22.6, 38.0?–?64.5, 53.0?–?61.8 and 51.4?–?66.1?kg ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, more nitrogen, 2.3?–?7.1, 14.5?–?22.8, 3.8?–?7.2 and 17.3?–?21.7?kg ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, more phosphorus and 1.6?–?11.4, 15.3?–?42.3, 8.2?–?22.7 and 40.8?–?57.8?kg ha^?1 yr^?1, respectively, more potassium than the rice?–?wheat (RW) cropping system which led to a net balance of +?151, +?58, ??153 and ??167?kg ha^?1 of nitrogen, +?13, ??27, ??8 and ??59?kg ha^?1 of phosphorus and ??549, ??551, ??558 and ??691?kg ha^?1 of potassium after three cycles of RWM, RPM, RRsM and RC cropping systems, respectively against a net balance of +?201, +?26 and ??533?kg ha^?1 of N, P and K, respectively in the RW cropping system. Application of FYM along with NPK in these cropping systems changed the negative balance of nitrogen and phosphorus into positive balance and reduced the negative balance of potassium by 151?–?378?kg ha^?1. Application of P and K fertilizers along with nitrogen also helped in arresting the negative balance of P and K under different rice based cropping systems. These results thus indicate that balanced use of NPK and FYM plays a major role for sustaining the productivity of a cropping system.