Effect of long-term un-treated domestic wastewater re-use on soil quality, wheat grain and straw yields and attributes of fodder quality

In 2006 a comprehensive sampling program was undertaken in two pre-selected peri-urban villages in Faisalabad, Pakistan to evaluate the soil and agronomic impacts of long-term (25–30 years) untreated wastewater re-use on wheat grain and straw yields and attributes of wheat straw fodder quality. Soil SAR, ESP, RSC and ECe were 63%, 37%, 31%, and 50% higher under wastewater (WW) as compared with canal water (CW) irrigated plots. Further, 2.7 and 6.65 fold increases in soil NO ₃ ^? + NO ₂ ^? - N and Olsen-P were observed in WW as compared with CW irrigated plots. However, no significant differences in grain yield, wheat straw biomass, or fodder quality attributes were observed between WW and CW irrigated plots. In addition, for both CW and WW irrigated plots wheat straw, Cd and Pb concentrations were orders of magnitude below the EC Maximum permissible levels for Pb and Cd in feed materials and thus pose no threat to the fodder-livestock food chain. Further, elevated soil N associated with WW irrigated plots has a significant (p?<?0.01) positive influence on fodder quality by increasing the N content. Factorial ANOVA with covariance indicates that effective management of the elevated soil ECe in WW irrigated plots would increase grain yield and wheat straw biomass by 853 kg ha^?1 (19.5%) and 819 kg ha^?1 (18.6%) respectively as compared with CW irrigated plots. In Faisalabad, if managed appropriately to address emerging salinity issues the contribution of wastewater irrigation to the achievement of MDGs 1 and 7 could be significant if adverse impacts remain as marginal as found in this study.     

Two-year study on combining ability and heterotic potential in functional traits under salt stress in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

Salt tolerance is a physiologically and genetically complex trait controlled by multiple genes. To analyze the genetic basis of salt tolerance we evaluated 18 F₁ along with their nine parents under three salt stress levels i.e. control, 10 dS m⁻¹ and 15 dS m⁻¹ in the summer of 2017 and 2018. Data were recorded for the number of bolls, seed cotton yield, boll weight, Na⁺, K⁺, K⁺/Na⁺ ratio, H₂O₂, SOD, POD, CAT and TSP. Line × tester analysis indicated that the contribution of lines was greater than testers. Except for Na⁺, most of the traits were controlled by non-additive genes. With the rise of salt stress, SCA variances increased and were higher than GCA variances for most of the traits indicating the traits were controlled by a few largely dominant genes. KEHKSHAN, FH-118 and FH-114 were found good general combiner whereas the cross KEHKSHAN × FH-114 was a good specific combiner and also indicated significant better parent heterosis for most traits during two years under salt stress and can be utilized in a breeding programme for salt tolerance.     

不同施氮下双季稻田白天CO2交换与叶面积、生物量的相互影响

研究缓/控释氮肥、氮肥配施硝化抑制剂和微生物菌剂对稻田生态系统白天CO_2净交换、群体叶面积和生物量的影响及其相互关系,有助于进一步了解这几类新型氮肥对稻田碳同化的促进作用及增产效果。为此于2012—2013年在湖北荆州进行大田试验,设置了五种氮肥处理:常规尿素(CK)、树脂包膜控释尿素(CRU)、尿素添加硝化抑制剂氯甲基吡啶(NU)、尿素添加硝化抑制剂二甲基吡唑磷酸盐(DMPP)、尿素配施微生物菌剂(EM)。采用静态箱-气相色谱法连续观测双季稻生态系统白天的CO_2净交换通量,并在各生育期测定水稻群体的叶面积和地上生物量,分析不同氮肥处理下这些指标的变化。结果表明:水稻生长季稻田生态系统白天表现为CO_2的净吸收,净交换通量受气温、降水等气象要素影响较大,在拔节-抽穗阶段出现较高值。相比普通尿素,新型氮肥在不同程度上提高了稻田CO_2净交换,在单个水稻生长季NU提高了13.2%~51.6%的平均CO_2净吸收通量,其次为CRU提高了9.8%~34.1%。在各生育期,新型氮肥对水稻群体叶面积指数和地上生物量表现出更高的促进效果,其中以CRU最为显著,其最大峰值相比CK分别提高了12.4%~18.6%和9.1%~18.8%。通过回归分析发现,水稻群体叶面积指数与CO_2净吸收通量为线性正相关关系,地上生物量与CO_2净吸收通量为抛物线型关系,这在一定程度上说明了水稻群体生长状况与稻田生态系统CO_2同化速率间的关系。包膜控释尿素、添加硝化抑制剂、添加微生物菌剂有助于提高水稻群体叶面积和生物量,促进稻田生态系统CO_2同化,其中树脂包膜控释尿素效果最佳。     

Equity of water distribution along secondary canals in Punjab,Pakistan

Equity in the distribution of irrigation water has long been an operational objective for the management of the large canal systems in the north and west of the Indian subcontinent. How well that operational objective continues to be met is the central concern of the research reported in this paper. Detailed studies of canal operations were conducted on three distributaries in the Lower Chenab Canal system in Punjab Province, Pakistan. Mananwala and Lagar Distributaries off-take in the head reach of the Gugera Branch Canal and Pir Mahal Distributary is at the very tail of this Branch. Flow conditions for these distributaries and of selected outlets served by each were measured daily throughout 1988, and data were converted to discharges. These field observations show that discharge variation at the head of distributaries greatly exceeds the original design criteria. The data also indicate that two design assumptions for outlets are no longer valid: continuous full supply water level in the distributary and outlet modular flow conditions. Field measurements confirm that the distribution of surface water among the outlets of all three distributaries is substantially inequitable. Outlets in the channels' head reaches commonly draw 3 to 6 times greater share of total supplies than do tail outlets. Although all three selected distributaries are perennial canals, some outlets remained dry for up to 90% of the total operational days in a year. Finally, evaluation of field data also shows that better operational procedures at the distributary level can substantially improve water supply conditions in the tail reaches.     

Partial substitution of chemical fertilizers with organic amendments increased rice yield by changing phosphorus fractions and improving phosphatase activities in fluvo-aquic soil

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combined use of chemical fertilizers with wheat straw and swine manure on rice yield and&nbsp;phosphorus...     

Comparative Efficacy of Bio-organic and Mineral Phosphate on the Growth,Yield and Economics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grown by Different Methods

This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of bio-organic phosphate (BOP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizers for improving the growth, yield, plant phosphorus (P) content and profitability of wheat cultivation under systems of wheat intensification (direct seeding and nursery transplantation) and conventional sowing (broadcasting). BOP was formulated by enriching the compost with rock phosphate and inoculated with plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial (PGPR) strain, Bacillus thuringiensis strain K5. Results revealed the supremacy of BOP over DAP, and the direct seeding method over the other sowing methods in almost all parameters studied. The application of BOP significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased the plant height, root length, number of tillers per plant, wheat biomass, number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, straw and grain P contents in direct seeded wheat in comparison to DAP fertilization. Furthermore, application of BOP and direct seeding of wheat generated more profit per hectare compared with the other treatments.     

Silicon: a beneficial nutrient for maize crop to enhance photochemical efficiency of photosystem II under salt stress

Soil salinity imposes an unprecedented risk to the soil fertility and availability of plant nutrients. The present proposal is designed to address the effect of salt stress on photosynthetic apparatus of maize including chlorophyll a fluorescence and how silicon nutrition helps to overcome this issue. In a sand culture experiment, two maize cultivars were sown in small pots with two levels of silicon (0 and 2 mM H₂SiO₃) and two levels of salinity stress (0 and 60 mM NaCl). Salinity stress reduced dry matter yield and potassium (K) concentration in both maize cultivars and also induced inefficient working of photosynthetic apparatus including photochemical efficiency of photosystem II. Silicon addition alleviated NaCl stress on maize crop by improving the dry matter yield and water use efficiency (WUE). It decreased shoot Na concentration by increasing root and shoot K concentration of maize plants. It enhanced maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry which leads to smooth electron transport chain. It also significantly enhanced shoot silicon concentration and has a significant positive correlation with WUE. Therefore, silicon-treated maize plants have better chance to survive under salt stress conditions as their photosynthetic apparatus is working far better than non-silicon-treated plants.     

Comparative effectiveness of organic and inorganic amendments on cadmium bioavailability and uptake by Pelargonium hortorum

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The aim of this study was to compare organic and inorganic amendments namely citric acid, ammonium nitrate, compost, and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs)...     

EFFICIENCY OF RHIZOBIUM INOCULATION AND P FERTILIZATION IN ENHANCING NODULATION,SEED YIELD,AND PHOSPHORUS USE EFFICIENCY BY FIELD GROWN SOYBEAN UNDER HILLY REGION OF RAWALAKOT AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR,PAKISTAN

A field experiment was conducted in continuity of our previous study to assess the effect of Rhizobium inoculation (RI) and phosphorus fertilization (P) on growth, yield, nodulation, and P use efficiency of soybean. Different treatments were i) Rhizobium strains (0, S₃₇₇, S₃₇₉, and the mixture of S₃₇₇+S₃₇₉ i.e. S₀, S₁, S₂, S₃); ii) phosphorus fertilizer (0, 50, 100 kg ha^?1 i.e. P₀, P₁, P₂). Soybean variety NARC-1 was as used as a testing crop. Results indicated that root and shoot growth increased by RI treatments whether used alone or in combination with P. Rhizobium inoculation increased plant height up to 12% while P did not show significant effect. Increases in soot dry weight, root length and root dry weight due to RI and P was 57 and 22%, 42 and 7%, 55 and 25%, respectively, over the control treatment. Number of nodules increased from 73 in the control to a maximum of 151 in S₂ while the number increased from 90 in the control to 147 in P₂. Combine application of strains and P increased nodules number from 65 at S₀P₀ to a maximum of 183 at S₂P₂. Similar response was also observed for nodules mass. Soybean seed yields ranged between 1710 and 2335 kg ha^?1 against 1635 kg ha^?1 in the control indicating a maximum of 43% increase over control. Concentration of N and P in plants and their uptake was significantly increased by RI and P. RI also increased the N and protein content of soybean seed. Apparent recovery efficiency (ARE) of applied P was 10?12% and the agronomic, agrophysiological, recovery, utilization efficiencies, and harvest index of P decreased with increasing P rates. Nodule number significantly correlated with the DM yield (r² = 0.78) and seed yield (r² = 0.63) while P uptake significantly correlated with root length (r² = 0.48) and root mass i.e. dry weight (r² = 0.65). Also a significant correlation existed between N uptake and DM yield (r² = 0.98) and N uptake and seed yield (r² = 0.65), P uptake and DM yield (r² = 0.73), and P uptake and seed yield (r² = 0.83). The results of present study indicated a substantial growth and yield potential of soybean under the hilly region and increase in yield and N₂ fixing potential (nodulation) can be achieved by applying Rhizobium inoculation with P fertilization.     

Tillage practices improve rice yield and soil phosphorus fractions in two typical paddy soils

Journal of Soils and Sediments - This research was undertaken (I) to evaluate the status of phosphorus fractions in paddy soils in response to different tillage management practices under different...