Soils of Ancient Agricultural Terraces of the Eastern Caucasus

Eurasian Soil Science - The morphological and chemical properties and biological activity of soils on ancient agricultural terraces in the middle-high mountains of the Eastern Caucasus are...     

Effect of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria Consortia Associated with Phospho-Compost on Phosphorus Solubilization and Growth of Tomato Seedlings (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

ABSTRACT

The exploitation of phosphate mines generates an important quantity of phosphate sludge that remains accumulated and not valorized. In this context, composting with organic matter and rhizospheric microorganisms offers an interesting alternative and that is more sustainable for agriculture. This work aims to investigate the synergetic effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and phospho-compost (PC), produced from phosphate-laundered sludge and organic wastes, and their combination on plant growth, phosphorus solubilization and phosphatase activities (alkaline and acid). Inoculated mycorrhizae and bacteria strains used in this study were selected from plant rhizosphere grown on phosphate-laundered sludge. Significant (p < .05) increases in plant growth was observed when inoculated with both consortia and PC (PC+ PSB+ AMF) similar to those recorded in plants amended with chemical fertilizer. Tripartite inoculated tomato had a significantly (p < .05) higher shoot height; shoot and root dry weight, root colonization and available P content, than the control. Co-inoculation with PC and AMF greatly increased alkaline phosphatase activity and the rate of mycorrhizal intensity. We conclude that PC and endophytic AMF and PSB consortia contribute to a tripartite inoculation in tomato seedlings and are coordinately involved in plant growth and phosphorus solubilization. These results open up promising prospects for using formulate phospho-compost enriched with phosphorus-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) in crop cultivation as biofertilizers to solve problems of phosphate-laundered sludge accumulation.     

Municipal Waste and Poultry Manure Compost Affect Biomass Production,Nitrate Reductase Activity and Heavy Metals in Tomato Plants

Organic wastes can be usefully recovered to produce organic amendments, for example, compost, to be used for crop production, thus reducing impacts through efficient waste management. The aim of this work was to study the effects of compost obtained from municipal waste in combination with poultry manure on plant growth, nitrate reductase (NR) activity and absorption and distribution of heavy metals (HM) in plant tissues of tomatoes, grown in pots in greenhouses. Two compost types obtained from municipal waste mixed with poultry manure (C1?=?3:2 and C2?=?2:3) were used at two different ages (105 d and 173 d) and at two mix rates with soil (32.5?g pot^?1 and 65?g pot^?1); soil with no compost amendment was used as control. The experiment was conducted using tomato plants in pots and plant growth and nutrient plant uptake was determined after 65?days from plant transplanting. Results obtained indicated that compost type and compost rate affected biomass production. However, compost age did not influence the development of plants. Nutrient status of tomato plants was also investigated with reference to the N cycle. Nitrite accumulation in the leaves increased with the increase in compost doses. The accumulation of NO₂^? was associated with a significant increase in NR activity. HM content in leaves decreased with compost use. HM accumulated preferentially in roots and leaves and the soil to root metals transfer was in this order: Fe (1.08–2.14)> Co (0.53–4.10)>Cu (0.28–2.28) >Mn (0.3–1.34) >Zn (0.87–1.21)>Cr (0.12–1.64). The highest and lowest dynamic bioaccumulation factors (BAF_dyn) were observed in roots and stems, respectively. The root system acted as a barrier for Cd and Pb. It was concluded that compost use is beneficial for tomato plants, with particular reference to the compost obtained by using a higher amount of poultry manure (C2) in the mix.     

Study on furundu, a traditional Sudanese fermented roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seed: effect on in vitro protein digestibility, chemical composition, and functional properties of the total proteins

Furundu, a meat substitute, is traditionally prepared by cooking the karkade (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) seed and then fermenting it for 9 days. Physicochemical and functional properties of raw and cooked seed and of furundu ferments were analyzed. Furundu preparation resulted in significant changes in karkade seed major nutrients. Total polyphenols and phytic acid were also reduced. The increase in total acidity and fat acidity coupled with a decrease in pH indicates microbial hydrolysis of the major nutrients; proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. In vitro digestibility of the seed proteins reached the maximum value (82.7%) at the sixth day of fermentation, but thereafter it significantly decreased. The effect of furundu preparation on N solubility profiles and functional properties, such as emulsification and foaming properties and other related parameters, is investigated in water and in 1 M NaCl extracts from defatted flour samples. The results show that cooking followed by fermentation affects proteins solubility in water and 1 M NaCl. The foaming capacity (FC) from the flour of raw seed decreased as a result of cooking. Fermentation for 9 days significantly increased the FC of the cooked seed, restoring the inherent value. Foam from fermented samples collapsed more rapidly during a period of 120 min as compared to the foam from raw and cooked karkade seeds; stability in 1 M NaCl was lower as compared to those in water. In water, the emulsion stability (ES) from the fermented samples was significantly higher than that of the raw seed flour. Addition of 1 M NaCl significantly decreased the ES of the fermented samples.     

Growth and phosphorus uptake of maize cultivated alone,in mixed culture with other crops or after incorporation of their residues

Intercropping or rotating of P‐efficient crop species which mobilize sparingly soluble P by their root exudates can have beneficial effects on growth and P uptake of P‐inefficient species. We aimed at studying the effect of intercropping or incorporating of crop residues of P‐efficient crops on the components of maize P‐uptake, i.e. the root‐system size and P influx (P‐uptake rate per unit root length). This was studied in 3 pot experiments in a low‐P sandy soil. In the first experiment, maize was intercropped with white lupine, sugar beet or oilseed rape, and with groundnut in the second experiment. In the third experiment, maize was grown after incorporating the crop residues of white lupine, sugar beet or oilseed rape. Maize growth and yield was strongly inhibited when intercropped with white lupine, sugar beet or oilseed rape, probably because of competition for nutrients. But with groundnut as the accompanying species, maize yield was increased by a factor of 3, mainly because of an enhanced P influx. Crop residues of oilseed rape and sugar beet increased the yield of maize by factors 2 and 1.6, respectively, because of a 3 and 2 times higher P uptake as compared to maize grown after maize without incorporation of crop residue. The reason for the higher maize P‐uptake after oilseed rape was an 11 times higher P influx as compared to maize without crop residues, and after sugar beet residues because of an enhanced root growth and a 4 times higher P influx. Lupine residues did not improve maize growth, mainly because of a low P influx, which was even less than that of maize grown without crop residues. The soil solution P concentration and calcium acetate lactate‐extractable P (CAL P) measured in this study did not reflect the P availability as indicated by the plants (P uptake, P influx). This indicates that other mechanisms such as P mobilization in the rhizosphere by root exudates or cell‐wall components were responsible for the increased P availability. These mechanisms need further investigation.     

Paleosol studies of burial mounds in the Ilovlya River valley (the Privolzhskaya Upland)

Paleosols buried under kurgans of the Bronze (end of the fourth and the third millennia BC), Early Iron (1st–3rd centuries AD), and Medieval (13th century AD) epochs have been studied on the Ilovlya River (a tributary of the Don River) terrace. The evolution of chestnut soils in the south of the Privolzhskaya Upland during the last 5000 years has been traced. It is shown that the mean weighted contents and distribution of soluble salts, gypsum, and carbonates in the soil profiles have been subjected to cyclic changes. The total microbial biomass and its trophic structure in the A1, B1, and B2k horizons of paleosols of different ages have been determined. A comparative analysis of the morphological, chemical, and microbiological data on the paleosols of different ages has been used to reconstruct the climatic dynamics for the last 50 centuries. The aridity of the climate in the studied region increased at the end of the third-the beginning of the second millennia BC and in the second and third centuries AD. The humidization of the climate took place in the 1st and in the 12th–13th centuries AD.     

Fertigation of humic substances improves yield and quality of broccoli and nutrient retention in a sandy soil

There is lack of information available concerning the effect of humic substances (HS) applied via fertigation on plant growth in sandy soils. Therefore, a field experiment was carried out at El‐Saff district (20 km southwest of Cairo), Egypt, to investigate the role of HS fertigation on water retention of a sandy soil, yield and quality of broccoli (Broccoli oleracea L.) as well as on soil nutrient concentration retained after harvest. The experiment consisted of six fertigation treatments (50%, 75%, and 100% of the recommended NPK‐fertilizer rate for broccoli combined with and without HS application at 120 L ha^–1) in a complete randomized block design with three replicates. Humic substances affected spatial water distribution and improved water retention in the root zone. Furthermore, application of HS increased total marketable yield and head diameter of broccoli as well as quality parameters (i.e., total soluble solids, protein, and vitamin C). Higher nutrient concentrations were found in the broccoli heads and concentrations of plant‐available nutrients in soil after harvesting were also higher, indicating an improvement in soil fertility. In conclusion, HS fertigation can be judged as an interesting option to improve soil water and nutrient status leading to better plant growth.     

Contribution of technic materials to the mobile fraction of metals in urban soils in Marrakech (Morocco)

Background, Aim and Scope  In urban areas, soils are often dramatically altered by anthropogenic activity and these modifications distinguish these soils (Anthrosols, Technosols) from those in natural systems. In urban environments, they receive considerable pollution from industry, traffic and refuse. Since contaminated soil particles can be easily inhaled or ingested, there is a potential transfer of toxic pollutants to humans. Risk assessment is essentially based on the determination of the total or mobile contents of pollutants in soils using chemical extractions. This approach could be improved by taking into consideration the bioavailable fractions of these toxic elements as measured by biotests. The coarse soil fraction usually neglected in analyses can nevertheless have an effect on the concentration of metals in the soil solution. This coarse fraction is made up of the natural materials and of technic materials constituting anthropogenic soils (plastic, paper, fabric, wood, bones, metallic elements and building materials). These materials have variable capacities to release or adsorb trace elements. Samples representative of different technic fraction components of Marrakech urban soils permit one to quantify their contribution to the enrichment of the soluble metal concentrations. Works are carried out to achieve partial extractions of metals from the three fractions (less than 2 mm, coarse natural and coarse technic) of selected urban soils in order to determine their contribution to the metal contamination of soils. Materials and Methods  Selected soils were collected from 9 sites according to a gradient of increasing anthropogenic influence from suburban to urban zones. Soils were air-dried, homogenized, and sieved (2 mm). The coarse fraction was sorted to separate the different technic materials and natural materials. Water extractions were run, on the natural, coarse fraction, on the complete technic fraction of the 9 soils and on average samples made of technic materials sorted out of 58 topsoils sampled from different sites in the city of Marrakech. Results  Results show that the percentage of the technic fraction increases while approaching the historic city center. It represented about 14% in the most anthropogenically disturbed soils. Along this gradient, soils changed progressively from Anthrosols to Technosols according to the WRB classification of urban and industrial soils. Analyses of metal contents showed that the fine fraction (<2 mm) mainly contributed to the metallic contamination of the water soluble fraction. The natural coarse fraction had the highest contribution to the copper release and was responsible for the release of all water-extractable copper in some soils. Concerning the technic fraction, it has a significant contribution essentially in the most anthropogenically disturbed soils as characterized by an elevated percentage of anthropogenic elements. The water extractable metal contents of average samples of these anthropogenic elements shows that elevated metal concentrations were released by bones, wood, plastic and fabric/paper. Discussion  This study concerns soils in urban areas, which are strongly impacted by human activities. Part of the soils can be classified as Anthrosols, profoundly impacted through the addition of organic materials from household wastes, irrigation, or cultivation. Other soils strongly impacted by human activities are Technosols dominated or strongly influenced by man-made materials. Technosols appear mostly in urban and industrial areas and are more likely to be contaminated than Anthrosols. The composition and heterogeneity of urban soils lead to modifications of the mobility and availability of pollutants depending on successive land-uses and on the composition of technic materials. The fine fraction offers a high transferring surface capacity, leading to a high mobilization of metals. The technic fraction contributes significantly to the metal release in the Technosols. This property can be explained by a reversible adsorption of metals on the organic matter. Conclusions  Results confirm that anthropogenic activity causes a wide spatial diversity of soil quality in the urban and suburban area. It introduces large amounts of technic materials in soils that could have an impact on the metal availability. It therefore acts on the metal bioavailability in the urban Technosols. Recommendations and Perspectives  These results show that it is necessary, in addition to the characterization of the fine particles, to take into account the contribution of the coarse fraction of the Technosols in the evaluation of risks of transfer of metals to the food chain.