Olivines: revelation of tracks of charged particles

A one-step, three-component aqueous etchant was developed for revealing the tracks of charged particles in olivine. The etchant reveals tracks of small cone angle, which are equally well developed in all the crystallographic directions. The scope of fossil cosmic-ray track studies in extraterrestrial samples has thus been increased, because olivine is often an abundant constituent and because it has a higher threshold ionization for track registration and has lower uranium, thorium, and trace element concentrations as compared with pyroxenes and feldspars. The etchant does not attack any of the principal rock-forming minerals in normal etching time, which allows a nondestructive study of fossil tracks in thin-section mounts. The study of fossil cosmic-ray tracks in olivine is particularly valuable for investigations of very, very heavy cosmic-ray nuclei and for highly irradiated samples such as those found in the lunar regolith.     

Tryptophan-accelerated electron flow through proteins

Energy flow in biological structures often requires submillisecond charge transport over long molecular distances. Kinetics modeling suggests that charge-transfer rates can be greatly enhanced by multistep electron tunneling in which redox-active amino acid side chains act as intermediate donors or acceptors. We report transient optical and infrared spectroscopic experiments that quantify the extent to which an intervening tryptophan residue can facilitate electron transfer between distant metal redox centers in a mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin. Cu(I) oxidation by a photoexcited Re(I)-diimine at position 124 on a histidine(124)-glycine(123)-tryptophan(122)-methionine(121) beta strand occurs in a few nanoseconds, fully two orders of magnitude faster than documented for single-step electron tunneling at a 19 angstrom donor-acceptor distance.     

Variability of soil physical quality and erodibility in a water-eroded cropland

Physical degradation of the soil increases its susceptibility to erosion by water action. However, relatively few studies have evaluated the opposite, i.e., the impact of water erosion on soil erodibility. This study was conducted in a corn field in Ohio. Some sites within the field have experienced water-induced soil erosion following heavy rainstorms. Physical characteristics of the soil were compared between eroded (ER) and un-eroded sites (UN). Compared with ER, the soil in UN had lower penetration resistance (4.87 vs. 4.53 MPa), bulk density (1.45 vs. 1.33 Mg m^?3), and sand content (17.4 vs. 14.2%), and higher shear strength (80.1 vs. 125.3 KPa), hydraulic conductivity (3.0 vs. 3.4 cm h^?1), intrinsic permeability (31.9 vs. 36.4 × 10^?10 cm²), and contents of soil organic carbon (36.1 vs. 32.1 g kg^?1), total nitrogen (3.3 vs. 3.1 g kg^?1), clay (25.2 vs. 24.2%), silt (60.5 vs. 58.4%), and very fine sand (3.4 vs. 1.1%). Also Munsell's variables differed between ER and UN (1.24 vs. 0.54 for hue, 4.59 vs. 4.35 for value, and 1.99 vs. 1.79 for chroma, respectively). The erodibility factor (K) was lower in UN than in ER (0.00327 vs. 0.00354 Mg ha h ha^?1 MJ^?1 mm^?1, respectively). Hence, it is suggested the ER sites within the corn field agroecosystem are more susceptible to accelerated erosion as compared with UN sites.     

Loss of soil resources from water‐eroded versus uneroded cropland sites under simulated rainfall

Soil erosion is widespread in agricultural lands of the US Corn Belt. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of antecedent erosion on loss of soil under laboratory simulated rainfall. The soil was obtained from the surface layer of eroded (ER) and uneroded (UN) sites within a conservation agro‐ecosystem in central Ohio, USA. Air‐dried soil was subjected to a rainfall simulation for 60 min (dry run), and to another simulation (wet run) 24 h after the dry run. In the dry run, the cumulative water runoff, sediment yield, and soil organic carbon loss were higher in ER (12.3 L/m², 169.3 g/m², and 5.6 g/m², respectively) than in the UN (7.3 L/m², 22.6 g/m², and 0.9 g/m² respectively). An opposite trend was observed for the cumulative water infiltration (0.9 and 3.9 L/m², respectively). In the wet run, despite a similar cumulative water runoff from the two erosional phases (20.1 and 19.6 L/m² in ER and UN respectively), sediment yield and soil organic carbon loss were higher in ER (484.4 g/m², and 16.3 g/m² respectively) than in the UN (146.6 g/m², and 5.3 g/m² respectively). Also for the wet run, an opposite trend was observed for the cumulative infiltration (0.8 and 5.8 L/m² respectively). This study suggests that past erosional processes increase the susceptibility of remaining soil to accelerated erosion.     

Effects of Biochar and Marble mud on Mine Waste Properties to Reclaim Tailing Ponds

The effects of biochar addition in improving soil physical properties are not clearly understood in mining tailings. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of three different types of biochars, in addition to marble mud (MM) and their mixtures, on the structural stability and water retention of mine wastes in Cartagena, Spain. Biochars were produced at 500 °C from pig manure (PM), cotton (Gossipium hirsutum L.) crop residues (CR) and municipal solid waste (MSW). Biochars were added to the mine waste (MW) along with MM and a control (no amendments added). These mixtures were incubated in cores for 90 days (25 °C). PM and CR mixed with MM decreased soil bulk density (from 0 · 98 g cm^‐3 to 0 · 89 and 0 · 84 g cm⁻³, respectively). Amendments had no significant effect on total porosity whereas they increased gas diffusion by 100%, except for MSW. MM improved the plant available water from 0 · 59 to 2 · 56 cm as its combination with biochars, extremely relevant in water scarce climates. The micropores were likely replaced by mesopores when application of PM, CR, MM, and biochars + MM and they improved water retention. Total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) increased by using biochars and MM and no significant effects were assessed on aggregates. In general, MM mixed with PM and CR derived biochar improved the structural stability and exhibited a strong impact in reclaiming physical quality on mine tailings. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of foliar and soil applications of zinc sulphate on zinc uptake,tree size,yield, and fruit quality of mango

To compare the effect of methods (foliar and soil) and rate of application of zinc sulphate on zinc and phosphorus uptake, tree size, yield and fruit quality of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. Dusheri, zinc sulphate was applied as a foliar spray application (0.25, 0.50, 1.0%) and soil (0.5, 1.0, 2.0 kg tree^‐1) treatments during the second week of October (during flower bud differentiation period). All the zinc sulphate treatments of soil and foliar spray were effective in increasing the leaf zinc concentrations above recommended adequate level of (>20 mg kg^‐1) whereas control trees maintained low leaf zinc concentrations (13.8 to 13.3 mg kg^‐1). The uptake of foliar‐applied zinc was more rapid than that of soil applied zinc. All the treatments of zinc sulphate except the foliar spray treatment of zinc sulphate (0.25%) significantly increased zinc concentrations in the fruit pulp as compared with those in the control trees. The percent increase in the stem girth of trees was highest with the soil application of zinc sulphate (0.5 kg tree¹) followed by foliar application of zinc sulphate (1.0%) as compared with all other treatments. The percent increase in the tree canopy volume was highest with the foliar application of zinc sulphate (1.0%) followed by soil application of zinc sulphate (1.0 kg tree¹) as compared with control and all other treatments. There was no significant (P<0.05) increase in yield, fruit size and weight, pulp or stone weight with any treatment of zinc sulphate. Total soluble solid (TSS) in the fruit was significantly higher (18.6%) with the treatment of soil application of zinc sulphate (0.5 kg tree¹) as compared with all other treatments of zinc sulphate and the control. Acid and sugar content of the fruit was not significantly affected by the foliar or soil application of zinc sulphate.     

Soil organic carbon pools in ploughed and no‐till Alfisols of central Ohio

No‐till (NT) farming can restore the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool of agricultural soils, but the SOC pool size and retention rate can vary with soil type and duration of NT. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of NT and soil drainage characteristics on SOC accumulation across a series of NT fields on Alfisols in Ohio, USA. Sites under NT for 9 (NT9), 13 (NT13), 36 (NT36), 48 (NT48) and 49 (NT49) years were selected for the study. Soil was somewhat poorly drained at the NT48 site but moderately well drained at the other sites. The NT48 and NT49 on‐station sites were under continuous corn (Zea mays), while the other sites were farmers' fields in a corn–soybean (Glycine max) rotation. At each location, the SOC pool (0–30 cm) in the NT field was compared to that of an adjacent plough‐till (PT) and woodlot (WL). At the NT36, NT48 and NT49 sites, the retention rate of corn‐derived C was determined using stable C isotope (¹³C) techniques. In the 0‐ to 10‐cm soil layer, SOC concentration was significantly larger under NT than PT, but a tillage effect was rarely detected below that depth. Across sites, the SOC pool in that layer averaged 36.4, 20 and 40.8 Mg C/ha at the NT, PT and WL sites, respectively. For the 0‐ to 30‐cm layer, the SOC pool for NT (83.4 Mg C/ha) was still 57% greater than under PT. However, there was no consistent trend in the SOC pool with NT duration probably due to the legacy of past management practices and SOC content differences that may have existed among the study sites prior to their conversion to NT. The retention rate of corn‐derived C was 524, 263 and 203 kg C/ha/yr at the NT36, NT48 and NT49 sites. In contrast, the retention rate of corn‐C under PT averaged 25 and 153 kg C/ha/yr at the NT49 (moderately well‐drained) and NT48 (somewhat poorly drained) sites, respectively. The conversion from PT to NT resulted in greater retention of corn‐derived C. Thus, adoption of NT would be beneficial to SOC sequestration in agricultural soils of the region.     

Micronutrients (Fe,Mn, Zn and Cu) balance under long-term application of fertilizer and manure in a tropical rice-rice system

Purpose

The balance of micronutrients in soils is important in nutrient use efficiency, environmental protection and the sustainability of agro-ecological systems. The deficiency or excess of micronutrients in the plough layer may decrease crop yield and/or quality. Therefore, it is essential to maintain appropriate levels of micronutrients in soil, not only for satisfying plant needs in order to sustain agricultural production but also for preventing any potential build-up of certain nutrients.

Materials and methods

A long-term fertilizer experiment started in 1969 at Central Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha, India. Using this experiment, a study was conducted to analyze the balance of micronutrients and their interrelationship. The experiment was composed of ten nutrient management treatments viz. control; nitrogen (N); N + phosphorus (NP); N + potassium (NK); nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK); farmyard manure (FYM); N + FYM; NP + FYM; NK + FYM; and NPK + FYM with three replications. Micronutrients in soil (total and available), added fertilizers and organic manures and in rice plant were analyzed. Besides, atmospheric deposition of the micronutrients to the experimental site was also calculated. A micronutrient balance sheet was prepared by the difference between output and input of total micronutrients.

Results and discussion

Application of FYM alone or in combination with chemical fertilizer increased the diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA)-extractable Fe, Mn and Zn over the control treatment. The treatment with NPK + FYM had the highest soil DTPA-extractable Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu after 41 years of cropping and fertilization. Application of chemical fertilizers without P decreased the DTPA-extractable Zn over the control while the inclusion of P in the fertilizer treatments maintained it on a par with the control. The application of P fertilizer and FYM either alone or in combination significantly increased the contents of total Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu in soil mainly due to their micronutrient content and atmospheric depositions. A negative balance of Zn was observed in the N, NP, NK and NPK treatments, while a positive balance observed in the remaining treatments. The balance of Mn was negative in all the treatments, due to higher uptake by the rice crop than its addition.

Conclusions

Long-term application of chemical fertilizers together with FYM maintained the availability of micronutrients in soil and, thus, their uptake by rice crop.