Evolution of Chemical Characteristics of Technosols in an Afforested Coal Mine Dump over a 20‐year Period

Coal mining in areas containing pyritic materials frequently leads to a remarkable impact on the environment because of sulphide oxidation. We studied the evolution of chemical characteristics of Technosols derived from sterile materials, in a lignite mine located in As Pontes (northwest Spain), over a 20‐year period. Three plots, which had different management practices, were selected. The mine spoil was deposited randomly in two of the plots (CSP with low S concentration and CSA with high S concentration), while it was selectively managed in the other one (P206). Twenty years after the first sampling, CSA continued to show the highest acidity (pH_water 3∙7–3∙9), whereas the lowest acidity was that of P206 (pH_water 5∙0). Regarding the surface layer, C increased 1∙1% in P206, 0∙3% in CSP and 0∙2% in CSA. Nitrogen increased 1% in P206. The C/N ratio increased in all plots. Phosphorus, Ca, Mg, K and effective cation exchange capacity decreased in 2002 and experienced a slight increase in 2012. Exchangeable Al and Al saturation increased in CSP and P206 and decreased in CSA. Electric conductivity levels of Ca, Mg, Na, Al and SO₄²⁻ concentrations decreased in the soil solution in all plots during the 20‐year period. Twenty years after the first monitoring, the plots that were built based on selective management of the mine spoil showed lower acidity and acidity‐derived consequences. These facts confirm the necessity of an appropriate selection of sterile materials, avoiding the placement of pyrite‐rich spoils on the surface or near‐surface zones, which is essential to facilitate proper restoration of this kind of dumping areas. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photodegradation of rotenone in soils under environmental conditions

An environmental fate study was performed to analyze the effects of soil components on the photochemical behavior of rotenone. Photodegradation experiments were carried out on three types of soil collected in southern Italy, Valenzano (VAL), Turi (TUR), and Conversano (CON), from April to June 2006. Soil thin-layer plates (1 mm thick) were spiked with 1.5 mg/kg of rotenone and exposed under natural conditions of sunlight and temperature. The plates were removed from the sunlight at predetermined intervals of continuous irradiation. Other soil samples, control and sterilized, were kept in the dark to evaluate possible effects of chemical and microbiological degradation during the irradiation experiment. The time for 50% loss of the initially applied rotenone varied from 5 to 7 h, following the order TUR < CON < VAL. In environmental studies, changes in temperature and/or moisture affected the degradation rate and caused deviations from first-order kinetics. The photolysis reaction fit the two compartment or the multiple compartment model pathways better. A fast initial decrease during the first 5 h of rotenone irradiation was followed by a much slower decline, which clearly indicates the rather complex chemical process of rotenone photodegradation on soil surfaces. Also, the degradation was shown to be directly related to the soil concentration of clay and organic matter. Rotenolone (12abeta-hydroxyrotenone) was detected by HPLC/DAD/MS analysis as the only photodegradation byproduct of rotenone in soil thin layers. Results provide additional insights on the rates and the mechanisms of rotenone degradation, aiming to describe more clearly the degradation performance of chemical residues in the environment.     

Morphological and Nutritional Properties of Birdsfoot Trefoil (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lotus corniculatus</Emphasis> L.) Autochthonous Populations in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) is a highly variable and widely distributed Old World perennial forage legume found in wild and naturalized populations throughout temperate regions of Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa, North and South America, Australia, and New Zealand. Understanding the relationships among birdsfoot trefoil morphological, ecogeographic and chemical characteristics may provide insights for better utilizing of exotic germplasms. Ten birdsfoot trefoil populations were and sampled and determined in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some morphological properties, such as growth form of populations, flower color, flowering period, number of stems, length of main stem, number of racemes per stem, number of flowers per inflorescence, number of pods per racemes, number of seeds per pods, hard seeds in the first year, dry matter (DM) yield, and some chemical properties, such as content of crude protein, ash, fat, crude fiber, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, K/(Ca+Mg) ratio, and sulfur, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, selenium and tannin contents, were determined in all populations. Serbia is an important origin center of genes for many legume species. Considering the high values of their traits, some Serbian trefoil populations could serve as a valuable breeding material. In comparison with populations from other parts of the world, Serbian populations are superior in chemical properties and nutritional quality values. The investigated populations clustered in two distinct groups according to the analyzed characteristics.     

The effect of different quantities and compositions of pelleted diets on immune response of mares during the production of anti-tetanus sera.

Research was carried out into the effect that different quantities and compositions of concentrated portions of meal had on certain haematological properties and on the immune response of mares in the course of hyper-immune antitetanus sera production. The experiment involved 24 Nonius and Lipizzaner cross-bred mares divided into two groups of 12 animals each, a control group and a trial group. The experiment lasted 12 months, with haematological and immunological tests being carried out every 30 days. During the course of the experiment each mare was subjected to 11 immunisation cycles, and in that period no mare fell ill. Leukocyte and haematocrit counts revealed no differences between the control and the test groups throughout the entire duration of the experiment. Following the second immunisation cycle the leukocyte count increased in both groups of mares, remaining significantly higher than the normal physiological value in horses throughout the experiment. The concentrated portion of meal, differing both in quality and quantity, had no influence on leucocyte count and haematocrit level in the mares throughout the experiment. However, the immunodiffusion titre in the test group did show a slightly higher value of ID-titre than in the control group, indicating that the quantitatively and qualitatively differing portions of meal had a more positive effect on immune response and anti-tetanus anti-body titre in the test group than it did in the control group.     

Resistance-breaking tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus isolates on resistant tomato in Serbia

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The most effective management strategy for tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) has been the use of resistant tomato (Sw-5b+) cultivars....     

Dependence of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fatty acid profile on diet composition in a semi‐intensive farming system: tissue and time variability

Increasing the amount of n‐3 PUFA in carp meat is one of the most important tasks in enhancing its overall quality. However, the relative influence of supplemental feed and natural feed on the FA profile of cultivated carp flesh is not well documented, making it difficult to choose the most efficient strategy. Carp diet composition and diet and flesh fatty acid profiles were simultaneously followed in order to determine the influence of pelleted feed compared to natural feed on fatty acid profiles of carp tissues. Pelleted feed clearly dominated over zooplankton and Chironomidae in the carp diet, producing carp tissue fatty acid profiles closely resembling those of pelleted feed. However, increase in the abundance of zooplankton over the course of the investigation resulting in concomitant increase of its proportion in feed bulk was in strong positive correlation with increase in n‐3 HUFA in the dorsal muscle. n‐3 PUFA enrichment of supplemental feed could be the dominant mechanism in production of carp meat rich in n‐3 PUFA. However, even a small increase in natural feed availability could significantly change the diet of common carp and result in considerable improvement of meat quality with regard to n‐3 HUFA content.