Bound amino acids in humic acids from arable cropping systems

We investigated the varying concentrations of bound amino acids in humic acids (HA) extracted from soils under both crop rotation and continuous cropping of rye. The experiment was created in 1957. Since then, winter rye had been grown continuously and also the sequence of the 7 yr rotation had been started: potato, spring barley, alfalfa, alfalfa, oil seed rape, winter rye, and winter rye. Soils were fertilized with NPK and manure. Continuous cropping of rye increased total acidity of soils and the contents of carboxylic and phenolic groups in HA. The total amounts of the bound amino acids in HA from soils under crop rotation were higher than from continuous cropping of rye. Fertilization with NPK increased the contents of bound amino acids more than manure. Neutral amino acids dominated in all samples of HA, and basic amino acids had the lowest concentrations. In both types of cultivation, glutamic acids, glycine, alanine, valine, and lysine dominated. The proline contents in HA from continuous rye cropping were higher than in HA from soils under crop rotation. The concentrations of β‐alanine and lysine were higher in HA from crop rotation indicating a higher microbial biomass since these compounds are typical constituents of bacteria cell walls.     

SUITMAs as an archive of the human past: educational implications

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The relics of the industry are widely used for educational and touristic purposes. There are many examples of brownfield sites turned into tourist attractions....     

Silver nanoparticles preplant bulb soaking affects tulip production

Nanomaterials and particularly silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have increased great interest in many fields of science. The element may affect plant growth and development but so far research studies have been scarce and their results disparate. Tulip is one of the most important ornamental plants and its production technology is constantly being improved. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of AgNPs on growth and yield attributes of tulip cv. ‘Pink Impression’. Before planting, the tulip ‘Pink Impression’ bulbs were soaked in the following concentrations of AgNPs: 25, 50, 100 and 150?mg?L^-1. Control bulbs were soaked in deionized water. The plants were forced in a greenhouse for two growing seasons. The tulips treated with 100?mg?L^?1 AgNPs flowered earlier, had longer cut-flower stem, larger petals, greater stem diameter and cut-flower fresh weight. Moreover, at this concentration of AgNPs, they showed increased leaf greenness index (SPAD), stomatal conductance, root fresh weight, root length and produced daughter bulbs of the greatest weight. The study outcomes indicate that AgNPs may be used as plant growth promoters in horticulture.     

Use of Enrichment,and Contamination Factors Together with Geoaccumulation Indexes to Evaluate the Content of Cd,Cu, and Ni in the Rybnik Water Reservoir in Poland

In this paper, the contamination degree of the Rybnik Reservoir with cadmium, copper and nickel was analyzed. Quality of the water from the reservoir was determined by drawing comparisons between the metal content in the water and both the officially permitted levels (contamination factor) and levels of metals occurring in the water of non-contaminated areas (enrichment factor). Contamination of bottom sediment with chosen metals was analyzed with reference to the metal content in mudstone (geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, contamination factor). Trends towards changing the metal content in the bottom sediment was analyzed by determining the enrichment factor of the surface layer of the bottom sediments in relation to a deeper layer. Enrichment of the bottom sediments with metals coming from the water was also determined.     

Sediment load variability in response to climate and land use changes in a Carpathian catchment (Raba River,Poland)

Journal of Soils and Sediments - This study analyzes the variability of sediment loads under variant climate change and land use scenarios in a Carpathian catchment with a dam reservoir. The areas...     

Effect of Preharvest Sprays of Calcium on Cracking and ‘Schattenmorelle’ Sour Cherry Fruit Quality Harvested Mechanically

The aim of the study was to examine effect of preharvest sprays of calcium (Ca) in the form of Ca-chloride (CaCl₂), Ca-nitrate [Ca(NO₃)₂], or a mixture of Ca-formate, Ca-acetate, CaCl₂, and Ca(NO₃)₂ on cracking and quality of ‘Schattenmorelle’ sour cherry fruit harvested mechanically. The experiment was conducted in 2008–2009 at a commercial orchard in central Poland. Mature trees grew on a coarse-textured soil poor in organic matter, at a spacing of 4.0 × 1.5 m. The spray treatments of Ca were performed at 7-day intervals, starting 28 days before harvest, at the rates of 5.0–5.6 kg Ca ha^?1 per season. The trees sprayed with water were treated as the control. Fruit were harvested mechanically when peduncle-fruit detachment force dropped below 3 N. The results showed that preharvest Ca sprays caused no leaf damage. This measure did not affect yield, mean fruit weight, soluble solids concentration and titratable acidity of fruit, and weight loss of fruit during 24 h after harvest. Fruit sprayed with Ca had improved status of this nutrient, and were less liable to juicy leakage from the stem scar, rain-induced cracking, and preharvest decay caused by Glomerella cingulata. The above effects of Ca sprays did not depend on the tested material. It was concluded that preharvest sprays of Ca as CaCl₂ and/or Ca(NO₃)₂ should be recommended in ‘Schattenmorelle’ sour cherry orchards to reduce fruit losses resulting from rain-induced cracking, leakage of juice, and the incidence of cherry bitter rot.     

Changes in the chemical composition of water percolating through the soil profile in a moderately polluted catchment

Throughfall (TF), stemflow (SF), soil solution below the organic layer (SS_org) and at 50 cm depth (SS₅₀), and output with stream water (SW) were measured and analyzed for four years in a moderately polluted forest catchment in southern Poland. The input of water with stemflow was ca. 6% of input with TF. However, due to higher concentrations of most ions in SF, the input of most elements with SF was from 8% to 9%. Sulphate (SO₄ ^2–), chloride (Cl^–) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) were the only ions steadily increasing in concentrations in water percolating through the soil profile. Nitrogen reached the forest floor mainly as ammonium (NH₄ ⁺). In the soil organic layer the NH₄ ⁺ concentration decreased, while concentrations of nitrate (NO₃ ^–) and hydrogen (H⁺) increased, probably due to nitrification. For NO₃ ^–, sodium (Na⁺) and calcium (Ca²⁺), the highest concentrations were found in SS_org and SW. This indicates both efficient cycling in the biotic pool of the ecosystem and intensive weathering processes in the mineral soil below the plant rooting zone. The latter was especially pronounced for Mg and Ca. Concentrations of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) were the highest in SS_org and SS₅₀. As this was accompanied by a low pH and constant input of H⁺, NH₄ ⁺ and heavy metal ions to the catchment area, it may pose a serious threat to forest health.     

Immediate Impact of the Flood (Bohemia, August 2002) on Selected Soil Characteristics

In August 2002 extreme floods affected Bohemia a part of the Czech Republic, along Vltava and Labe rivers. After the flood had culminated, soil samples of arable and meadow soil (flooded and control-non-flooded) have been collected in the surroundings of the cities of ?eské Budějovice (CB, South Bohemia, the Vltava river, the upper flood stream) and Ústí nad Labem (UL, the Labe river, the lower flood stream). Different parameters of arable soils have been affected more significantly than those of meadow soils. Soil texture e.g. has been shifted from sandy loam to loam (CB) and clay loam (UL). Organic carbon, total phosphorus and nitrogen contents have been increased as well as the content of some hazardous elements such as arsenic. A shift of soil pH from 6.1 to 4.8 has been noticed in CB and an opposite one from 5.1 to 7.1 was measured in UL. Available phosphorus decreased in CB by 56% while a four-fold increase was measured in UL. Chlorinated organic pesticides level was significantly reduced, but that of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) increased up to the maximum values of legal limits. The UL arable soil also became heavily contaminated by PAH. The CB arable soil demonstrated high microbial activity, while UL arable soil suffered under stress conditions in this respect. The flooded meadow soils became covered with a layer of drifted soil sediment, which retained enhanced content of the PAH's different hazardous elements, and, in addition, the soil aeration was reduced.     

Variability of phenotypic and morphological characteristics of some Lathyrus sativus L. and Lathyrus cicera L. accessions and nutritional traits of their seeds

The object of the study comprised 54 grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) accessions originating from Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Poland, Ukraine and Russia together with 18 red pea (Lathyrus cicera) accessions from Greece, Spain and Italy. The plants were grown under the same conditions in Poland. Some phenological and morphological traits of plants as well as some seed morphological properties and nutritive value were investigated. Lathyrus sativus seeds contained more protein (average 300?g vs. 255?g?kg^?1 dry matter (DM)), whereas the differences in the average contents of the other basic nutrients between both these species as well as between particular accessions were not substantial. Except for a low level of methionine, the protein of both species showed fairly high concentration of other exogenic amino acids (EAAI around 63–64%). Fat of both L. sativus and L. cicera seeds was found to contain a high level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (66.9 and 58.6%, respectively), mainly linoleic (57.4 and 47.2%, respectively). The researched L. sativus accessions had a quite low level of β-ODAP (733?mg with a range of 0.583–1.340?mg?kg^?1 DM). Slightly higher content of this ANF (1,168?mg with 911–1,349?mg?kg ^?1 DM) in L. cicera seeds was noted. Average tannin concentration in the L. sativus and L. cicera accessions reached 3.3 and 6.4?g?kg^?1 DM, respectively. Average content of this ANF in L. sativus significantly correlated with the colour of both, flowers and seeds; with generally, a darker colour associated with higher levels of tannins.     

Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Growth Suppression and Adverse Effects on Human Health Due to Air Pollution in the Upper Silesian Industrial District (USID), Southern Poland

Air pollution emissions were not continually monitored in the Upper Silesian Industrial District (USID), southern Poland, and data is only available for the last 20?years. Long-lasting and severe tree ring reductions in pines growing 5-20 km north of the USID area recorded particularly high levels of air pollution emissions in the period 1950-1990. Especially high amounts of reductions and many missing rings were found in the period 1964-1981. At the same time, pines growing 60?km west of the USID do not record deep ring reductions; this proves that the phenomenon is of a regional nature. Increases in infant mortality and lung, bronchial, and tracheal cancer morbidity rates among males were also recorded in the USID during periods of high air pollution. Infant mortality rates increased several years after the tree ring reductions. Therefore, it may be possible to use tree ring reductions as an early indicator of the occurrence of adverse effects on human health.