Foliar retention of strontium-90 by wheat

Wheat harvested from the University of Maryland Agronomy Farm in June 1959 contained 20 to 50 micromicrocuries of strontium-90 per kilogram of grain. More than 90 percent of the strontium-90 came from deposition on aboveground plant parts, and less than 10 percent was taken up through the soil. About 1 to 2 percent of the strontium-90 fallout during the time the heads were exposed was retained in the grain.     

EMERGENCE AND LONGEVITY IN CULTIVATED SOIL OF SEEDS OF SOME ANNUAL WEEDS

Summary. Four replicated experiments were begun in successive years to study the behaviour of viable seeds of eleven species of annual weeds when mixed with a 3 in. layer of cultivated soil. The soil was confined in pots sunk in the ground outdoors, seedling emergence was recorded, and the numbers of viable seeds remaining at the end of the experiments were assessed. One experiment was continued for 3 years, the others for 5 lull calendar years after the freshly collected seeds had been sown.
Initial emergence was greatest with Stellaria media, Senecio vulgaris and Poa annua , and least with Chenopodium album and Thlaspi arvense . Subsequently, the numbers of seedlings which emerged each year declined at a rate which was constant for each species. In the fifth year after sowing, the number of seedlings of Senecio vulgaris was only 0.3% of the initial number of viable seeds, while for Thlaspi arvense and Veronica hederifolia the figure was 3.2%.
The proportions of viable seeds which produced seedlings ranged from 37 to 86%, while from 0 to 11% were still present in the dormant state after 5 years. Most species showed marked patterns in the seasonal distribution of emergence which were modified by variations in weather from year to year, but in any one year, the distribution of emergence was not influenced by the length of time the seeds had been in the soil.
Germination et longévité dans des sots cultivés de semences de quelques mauvaises herbes annuelles     

CHEMICAL WEED CONTROL IN SPRING-SOWN BROAD BEANS

Summary. During the period 1956-61, twelve replicated field experiments were conducted to determine the response of spring-sown broad beans ( Vicia faba L.) and annual weeds to various pre- and post-emergence herbicides. On a sandy loam, the best results were given by pre-emergence applications of simazine 0.75 lb/ac, trietazine 1.5 lb/ac, chlorpropham 1 lb+diuron 0.2 lb/ac or dinoseb-amine 4 lb/ac. Amiben proved insufficiently selective, while chlorpropham+fenuron caused greater crop injury than the corresponding mixture with diuron. Post-emergence application of dinoseb-amine was less satisfactory than the best of the pre-emergence treatments.
Le désherbage chimique des fèves semées au printemps     

Caudal compression of the infraorbital nerve: A novel surgical technique for treatment of idiopathic headshaking and assessment of its efficacy in 24 horses

Reasons for designing and reporting technique: Idiopathic headshaking has remarkable similarities to human neuropathic facial pain syndromes associated with post herpetic and trigeminal neuralgia. These derive from abnormal sensory function within the peripheral or central pathways of the trigeminal nerve (TgN). Limiting input from the TgN can be helpful in controlling the perception of pain. Rhizotomy of the infraorbital branch of the TgN as it emerges from the infraorbital canal has been reported but has a poor efficacy. A novel technique involves compression of the nerve at a more caudal location within the infraorbital canal and the technique requires validation. Hypothesis: Caudal compression of the infraorbital nerve with platinum coils, performed in horses diagnosed with idiopathic headshaking, results in a decrease in clinical signs. Methods: Caudal compression of the infraorbital nerve, using platinum embolisation coils, was performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Clinical records of 24 idiopathic headshakers that had undergone this procedure were reviewed. Follow‐up information was obtained by telephone questionnaire with the owner or referring veterinary surgeon. Results: All 24 horses had at least one surgical procedure. Median follow‐up time was 6 months. There were 2 horses which had surgery 2 weeks before follow‐up and these were excluded from the analysis of outcome. Following one surgery, 13/22 horses (59.0%) had a successful outcome. Of the 9 horses that did not improve, surgery was repeated in 6 cases. Two of these horses had a successful outcome. Overall, a successful outcome was obtained in 16/19 horses (84.2%). Conclusions: This surgical technique is likely to prevent input from the TgN at a more caudal location then the previously described infraorbital neurectomy. The technique requires refinement.     

上海郊区园艺土壤氮素的生物形成动态变化

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents a significant pool of soluble nitrogen (N) in soil ecosystems. Soil samples under three different horticultural management practices were collected from the Xiaxiyang Organic Vegetable and Fruit Farm, Shanghai, China, to investigate the dynamics of N speciation during 2 months of aerobic incubation, to compare the effects of different soils on the mineralization of ¹⁴C-labeled amino acids and peptides, and to determine which of the pathways in the decomposition and subsequent ammonification and nitrification of organic N represented a significant blockage in soil N supply. The dynamics of N speciation was found to be significantly affected by mineralization and immobilization. DON, total free amino acids, and NH₄⁺-N were maintained at very low levels and did not accumulate, whereas NO₃^--N gradually accumulated in these soils. The conversion of insoluble organic N to low-molecular-weight (LMW) DON represented a main constraint to N supply, while conversions of LMW DON to NH₄⁺-N and NH₄⁺-N to NO₃^--N did not. Free amino acids and peptides were rapidly mineralized in the soils by the microbial community and consequently did not accumulate in soil. Turnover rates of the additional amino acids and peptides were soil-dependent and generally followed the order of organic soil > transitional soil > conventional soil. The turnover of high-molecular-weight DON was very slow and represented the major DON loss. Further studies are needed to investigate the pathways and bottlenecks of organic N degradation.