Pyrite oxidation in a sediment sample of an open-cut brown coal mine: mineral formation,buffering of acidity and modeling of cations and sulfate

Secondary reactions occurring in pyrite‒containing sediments under aerobic conditions are complex and are not fully understood. Objectives were to (i) study the formation of secondary minerals using x‒ray diffraction (XRD) and ion activity product (IAP) calculations; (ii) to obtain a budget of acidity producing and consuming processes; and (iii) to study the performance of a chemical equilibrium model (including kinetic reactions) using sequential batch experiments with varying input solutions on samples of different pyrite oxidation states. A sediment sample from the open pit coal mine Garzweiler, Germany, was oxidised in the laboratory to obtain four different pyrite oxidation states. Sequential batch experiments were carried out using H₂O, 100 mM CaCl₂ and 10 mM NaOH as input solutions. A coupled equilibria model was used to describe the experiments. The model (PHREEQC) included inorganic complexation, redox reactions, precipitation/dissolution of sparingly soluble salts, multiple cation exchange and pyrite oxidation using a simple input function. IAP calculations and XRD showed the formation of large amounts of gypsum with increasing pyrite oxidation and for the highly oxidised sample also the formation of hydroniumjarosite. The budget of acidity consuming processes followed the order (i) release of Fe(III) into the solution phase (51% of produced acidity); (ii) Al release into solution and exchangeable phases (probably mainly due to silicate weathering, 22% of produced acidity); and (iii) CEC reducing processes (11% of produced acidity). Modeling of the sequential equilibration experiments with water and CaCl₂ gave satisfactory agreements between modeled and measured pH and sorption values, indicating that the main processes governing pH and ion sorption were quite well understood. However, model results of the alkaline additions at larger pyrite oxidation states differed considerably from the experimental results.     

Silage yield and quality traits in elite maize hybrids and their relationship to elemental concentrations in juvenile plants

European silage maize is cultivated for animal feed and biogas production. We evaluated 210 factorial crosses of elite dent and flint lines in multilocation trials for agronomic and quality traits together with biomass and shoot concentrations of 10 elements in juvenile plants. Significant genotypic variances, mainly due to general combining ability variance of the dent lines, and high heritabilities were observed for dry matter yield (DMY) and quality traits. DMY was not correlated with quality traits, but methane fermentation yield (MFY) and metabolizable energy content (MEC) showed significant correlations with starch and fibre content. Concentrations of elements N,P,S,K were positively correlated with each other but only in few cases correlated with DMY and quality traits. Parent lines with contrasting P concentrations differed in root morphology traits. Results support DMY as primary trait for selection of silage maize hybrids, but MFY is of negligible importance in breeding for biogas contrary to MEC for animal feed. Neither biomass nor elemental composition of juvenile plants were of predictive value for final DMY or quality traits.     

C?gliche Durchmesserschwanfungen der Zweige

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

QTL for delayed bolting after winter detected in leaf beet (Beta vulgaris L.)

Growing sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris) as a winter crop in cool temperate climates is expected to increase yield potential. However, this requires bolting resistance after winter. One strategy to achieve complete bolting resistance is to accumulate genes for bolting delay from various genetic resources within the B. vulgaris gene pool. To identify such genes, a QTL mapping was performed in a segregating population derived from a biennial leaf beet with delayed bolting after winter. The population was tested for bolting delay after winter in two different experiments with natural or artificial vernalization. Three QTL for bolting delay were mapped on linkage groups 3, 5 and 9 affecting bolting time by up to 19 days. These QTL could be combined with recently reported bolting QTL to develop a winter sugar beet with complete bolting resistance.     

Synthesis and insecticidal activity of 4-perhaloalkoxy (or thioalkyl) benzophenonehydrazone derivatives

Benzophenonehydrazone derivatives containing a mesylate or triflate substituent are known to exhibit insecticidal activity. In the present study, such substituents have been replaced by perhaloalkoxy groups. High levels of activity against lepidopteran pests were observed in greenhouse trials. For optimum activity, the substituents should be relatively small. In semi-field trials, however, none of the compounds tested showed sufficient persistence to warrant further development.     

Einfluß der Kalkung und Düngung auf den Ionenaustausch und die chemische Zusammensetzung der Bodenlösung am Beispiel von vier Waldstandorten im Hessischen Bergland

Impact of liming and fertilization on ionic exchange and chemical composition of soil solutions from four forest sites in the colline region of Hesse Between February 1985 and July 1987 soil seepage experiments were carried out on fertilizer trial plots in mature beech stands of four forest districts of Hesse. Encompassed by this study are in addition the most important results from soil-chemical analyses of the subsequent years 1988 to 1991. Aim of the investigations was to study the influence of liming and K/Mg-fertilization on the chemical composition of soil and soil solution under different site conditions. In the percolated soil solution liming did not led to a significant pH increase in subsequent years. In contrast, in some cases the pH level dropped by 0.1 to 0.2 units on average and Al-concentration increased correspondingly. In most cases, fertilization led to a significant increase in soil solution concentrations of the metal cations potassium, calcium and magnesium, especially at a depth of 50 cm. On those trial plots where a pH decrease was observed, the concentrations of K, Ca and Mg exhibited either a slight or no increase at all. Furthermore on some trial sites with freely drained soils, liming led to a faster mineralisation of the humus layer and thus to an increase of nitrate contents in the percolated soil solution from about 1–2 mg/l to 10–20 mg/l on average. Increased concentrations of sulfate and in most cases also of heavy metals (Mn, Zn, Cu. Cd) were observed in the soil solution which was attributed to the mobilizing effect of Ca-fertlization. In general, the mobility of most chemical parameters showed a slight increase following liming and soil tillage. Even after 5 to 8 years considerably higher pH-values and base saturation were evident in limed and fertilized soils, especially in the top 15 cm of soil profiles.     

Über die durch den Wind bedingte ungleiche Verteilung von Schildläusen und Wintereiern der Insekten an den Zweigen der Obstbäume

Ohne Zusammenfassung