Long-term effects of five ameliorants on a saline-sodic soil of South Africa

The effects of five ameliorants for saline-sodic soil reclamation on certain chemical and physical soil properties over a four-year period of observation are reported. Of these ameliorants, three are conventionally used (gypsum, sulphur, manure); the other two are for this purpose either unusual (potassium sulphate) or relatively unknown (molasses meal). Results published in a previous paper demonstrated that molasses meal had a very rapid-acting favourable effect on most soil physical properties whilst soil chemical conditions remained essentially unchanged. The effect on physical properties was presumably due to soil aggregation by the polysaccharide component of molasses meal. As a follow-up this paper shows, however, that this aggregation does not last long; the rigidly arid climatic conditions under which this experiment was carried out apparently do not favour the preservation of structural bonds consisting of polysaccharide gums. Consequently, a gradual decline of structural conditions took place after the second year. Although initially not as effective as molasses meal, gypsum and sulphur retained their favourable influence on physical properties over a longer period. Potassium sulphate and farmyard manure provided virtually no benefits.     

Adsorption sur les argiles de deux lipopolysaccharides rhizosphériques

The adsorption with time has been measured of two well characterized lipopolysaccharides onto aqueous suspensions of a montmorillonite, a kaolinite and an illite at one fixed polymer-clay ratio. The clays were prepared in the Fe⁺⁺⁺ or Ca⁺⁺ forms by washing with FeCl₃ or CaCl₂ followed with water. The competitive sorption of the two polymers was measured also in the presence of an equal concentration of a protein or a basic amino-acid. Sorption of the polymers by themselves was approximately proportional to the external areas of the three clays and independent of the exchangeable cation. The presence of the protein inhibited completely the adsorption of both polymers onto the Ca⁺⁺ clays, but usually enhanced sorption onto the Fe⁺⁺⁺ clays. Sorption in the presence of the amino-acid differed both for each polymer and according to the form of the clay. Possible reasons for the various sorption patterns are discussed.     

Some observations on plant lectins and Rhizobium specificity

The ability of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labelled lectins extracted from the legumes Aspalathus linearis, Glycine max, Lotononis bainesii, Phaseolus vulgaris and Pisum sativum, respectively, to react with strains of various Rhizobium spp. was studied. With the exception of six out of ten strains of R. phaseoli and two out of ten strains of R. japonicum, none of the Rhizobium strains tested were able to bind lectin from their normal host plants. Many strains of R. leguminosarum, R. trifolii and R. phaseoli bound each of the plant lectins studied with the exception of the P. sativum lectin. This lectin was only bound by two strains of R. meliloti and a slow-growing strain isolated from Macroptilium atropurpureum. These results do not support suggestions by other workers that plant lectins play an important role in Rhizobium specificity.     

Management of the Northern Chesapeake Bay American shad fishery

The Shad fisheries of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland have been declining since an 1897 peak of 7860 × 10³kg. No periods of stability have been recorded. Data are presented to trace the decline not only as a function of specific areas within the Northern Chesapeake Bay but also in terms of environmental problems and recruitment overfishing.The problem is related to improving the commercial fishing yield. An estimation of a maximum effort of 200,000 man-hours is suggested if a stable yield is to be approached. Methods for obtaining this goal include alternating of closed fishing areas, adoption of rest days, enforcement of fisheries regulations and reduction of the number of metres of gill net used per fisherman.     

Experiments to determine the fate of dead birds at sea

This paper describes three experiments aimed at determining the proportion of dead birds at sea which come ashore and are found by members of the public, and discusses the results in relation to wind velocities. From 11% to 58% of the ringed (Larus spp.) corpses thrown into the Irish Sea between Liverpool and the Isle of Man on three occassions in 1973 and early 1974 were recovered. There were large differences between experiments in the timing of the recoveries, although half usually occurred within 11–14 days of dropping. The resultant wind velocities during the time the first bodies recovered from each experiment were at sea were calculated. Comparison of the observed and expected tracks of these bodies confirmed that the wind was the main factor influencing the direction of drift. Gull corpses drifted at a minimum of 2·55±0·93% of the wind speed, although there was much variation and some travelled at over 4% windspeed. With a few exceptions, the observed distribution of recoveries could be broadley predicted by wind vector analysis. The amount of onshore wind when the bodies had reached coastal waters was not related to the subsequent recovery rates. Further experiments are necessary if some of our findings are to be explained and examination of the effect of tidal cycles on the beaching of corpses would also be of value.     

A device to study metabolic gases in the rice rhizosphere

A simple apparatus was developed to study metabolic gases in the rice rhizosphere. With this device, a positive rhizosphere effect of rice was demonstrated on three soil microbial activities: N₂ fixation, CH₄ formation and denitrification.     

Zur pedochemie des berylliums — untersuchungen einer bodengesellschaft im gebiet des bärhaldegranits (südschwarzwald)

The profile distribution of Be is given for a toposequence of podzols, brown earths, stagnogley, forest bog and “Ockererde” (slope gley with infiltrated Al, Mn and Fe). Analysed were the parent rock, fine earth, four fractions of mineral soil (fine skeleton, sand, silt, clay) and the needles of spruce trees.Beryllium is involved in selective weathering processes of elements. Accordingly, the Be-content increases from the fine skeleton to sand, rock, silt and clay, progressively. Through pedogenetic enrichment, Be accumulates in the mica-rich silt fraction.Uptake of Be by spruce is very low even from these acid soils. The accumulation in the needles becomes greater with increasing age.The pedochemical behaviour of Be is very similar to that of Al.Be is incorporated very little in the organic matter cycle, and is therefore not enriched in the soil humus.The brown earth has lost Be, especially in the A_h-horizon.In the A_e-horizon of the podzol, loss of Be is even greater; the loss is partly offset by Be-enrichment in the B-horizon.In the profiles of depressions, the Be-content is high and is ascribed to lateral flow from the slopes. Be-enrichment is especially high in horizons with a pH of about 5.The Be-balance of the watershed indicates an export of about 10% of the original amount.     

Analysis of fat-soluble vitamins. XVI. Antirachitic activity of 5,6-trans-vitamin D3 alone and in the presence of 5,6-cis-vitamin D3 resin, using chick bioassays.

Two biological assays were conducted in which the antirachitic activity in chicks of 5,6-trans-vitamin D3 added to feed is compared with that of 5,6-cis-vitamin D3. On the basis of the results obtained it is concluded that the relative potency of the trans isomer is, at the most, 5% and that the antirachitic activity of the trans isomer is not markedly enhanced (an increase to a relative potency of 16%, at the most) if the cis isomer is also included in the diet. The results are not conclusive on the inhibition or lack of inhibition of the antirachitic activity of 5,6-cis-vitamin D3 by the presence of 5,6-trans-vitamin D3 in the feed.     

Gas-liquid chromatographic determination of residues of methanesulfonate of n-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester in fish.

In this gas-liquid chromatographic procedure for determining residues of methanesulfonate of m-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (MS-222) in fish muscle, homogenized tissue is extracted with distilled water, and proteins are removed by coagulation with trichloroacetic acid, centrifugation, and filtration. After careful pH adjustment of the filtrate, MS-222 is partitioned into benzene-ethyl ether and measured by alkali flame ionization gas chromatography. Tissues with known additions of 1-19 microgram MS-222/g were analyzed, with recoveries of 84-95%.     

The effect of urea on the voluntary intake by calves of silages preserved with formaldehyde and formic acid

Perennial ryegrass cv. S23 was preserved by fermentation (C), or with the addition of 8.7 1 formalin (35% w/w formaldehyde) per t fresh herbage (F) or of 9.0 1 equal mixture (by vol.) of formalin and formic acid (85% w/w solution) per t fresh herbage (FF). These three silages comprised the treatments in a three-period, crossover design in which urea (u) was given at the rate of 20 g per kg dietary DM to half the animals. Twelve calves were allocated to the treatment sequences when they were approximately 12 weeks of age from within groups which had previously received diets with or without urea. Calves ate significantly (P< 0.001) less of silages F or FF than of silage C when each was offered alone, but when urea was given, intakes of silages F and FF were significantly (P < 0.001) increased such that the intakes of all three silages with urea were similar (23.6, 19.6, 19.3, 24.2, 24.2, 24.7 ± 0.51 g DM per kg LW for C, F, FF, Cu, Fu and FFu, respectively). Significantly (P<0.01) more of the DM in silage C was digested than in F or FF and the addition of urea significantly (P<0.05) increased the digestibility of DM from silage FF only (73.8, 71.3, 69.8, 74.6, 70.7, 72.5 ± 0.72% for C, F, FF, Cu, Fu and FFu, respectively). When the silages were given alone, calves spent longer eating and ruminating per kg DM ingested with F or FF than with C. The time spent on F and FF was significantly (P<0.01) reduced by the addition of urea (303, 388, 411, 297, 299, 290 ± 18.9 min per kg DM ingested for C, F, FF, Cu and Fu and FFu, respectively). The results presented suggest that urea partially alleviated the reduction in voluntary intake by calves given herbage preserved using formalin, but the mode of action was not clear.