Fate of Zinc Ammonia Acetate in Soils and Its Uptake by Corn

Zinc ammonium acetate (ZAA) is applied to soil with anhydrous ammonia as a carrier to improve corn (Zea mays L.) productivity. To study the fate of ZAA in the soils, a laboratory leaching experiment was conducted with ¹⁴C-ZAA and ⁶⁵Zn-ZAA using water or NH₄OH as carrier. Results showed that ZAA degraded in the soil and released CO₂. The released CO₂ was from the acetate component of ZAA and accounted for less than 0.06% of the total applied ¹⁴C. Using H₂O as carrier resulted in more CO₂ release than using NH₄OH, regardless of soil type. However, more ¹⁴C was detected in the leachate when using NH₄OH as a carrier than when using H₂O. A plant uptake experiment using ¹⁴C-ZAA and ⁶⁵Zn-ZAA indicated that four-leaf-stage corn seedlings absorbed higher amounts of ¹⁴C in the stem and root than in the leaves. The ⁶⁵Zn was detected in most tested plant parts. Our study showed that ZAA enhanced cytokinin levels in root and/or shoot tissues of corn seedlings, suggesting a secondary regulatory effect of ZAA in improving corn productivity.     

Recovery of cover-crop-N in the soil-plant system in the Guinea savannah zone of Ghana

In order to understand the efficiency of residue-N use and to estimate the minimum input required to obtain a reasonable level of crop response, it is important to quantify the fate of the applied organic-N. The recovery of N from ¹⁵N-labelled Crotalaria juncea was followed in the soil and the succeeding maize crop. Apparent N recovery (ANR) by maize from unlabelled Crotalaria juncea, Crotalaria retusa, Calopogonium mucunoides, Mucuna pruriens and mineral fertilizer at three locations were also evaluated. The maize crop recovered 4.7% and 7.3% of the ¹⁵N-labelled C. juncea-N at 42 days after sowing (DAS) and at final harvest, respectively. The corresponding ¹⁵N recovery from the soil was 92.4% and 58.5%. The highest mean ANR of 57.4% was with mineral fertilizer, whereas the mean ANR of 14.3% from C. retusa was the lowest. A large pool substitution and added-N interaction effect was observed when comparing N recovery from the labelled and unlabelled C. juncea. The amount of residue-N accounted for by the isotope dilution method at 42 DAS was 97.1% and at final harvest 65.8%. The large residue-N recovery in the soil organic-N pool explains the residual effect usually observed with organic residue application.     

Sinapate dehydrodimers and sinapate-ferulate heterodimers in cereal dietary fiber

Two 8-8-coupled sinapic acid dehydrodimers and at least three sinapate-ferulate heterodimers have been identified as saponification products from different insoluble and soluble cereal grain dietary fibers. The two 8-8-disinapates were authenticated by comparison of their GC retention times and mass spectra with authentic dehydrodimers synthesized from methyl or ethyl sinapate using two different single-electron metal oxidant systems. The highest amounts (481 microg/g) were found in wild rice insoluble dietary fiber. Model reactions showed that it is unlikely that the dehydrodisinapates detected are artifacts formed from free sinapic acid during the saponification procedure. The dehydrodisinapates presumably derive from radical coupling of sinapate-polymer esters in the cell wall; the radical coupling origin is further confirmed by finding 8-8 and 8-5 (and possibly 8-O-4) sinapate-ferulate cross-products. Sinapates therefore appear to have an analogous role to ferulates in cross-linking polysaccharides in cereal grains and presumably grass cell walls in general.     

FUM13 encodes a short chain dehydrogenase/reductase required for C-3 carbonyl reduction during fumonisin biosynthesis in Gibberella moniliformis

Fumonisins are polyketide-derived mycotoxins produced by the filamentous fungus Gibberella moniliformis (anamorph Fusarium verticillioides). Wild-type strains of the fungus produce predominantly four B-series fumonisins, designated FB(1), FB(2), FB(3), and FB(4). Recently, a cluster of 15 putative fumonisin biosynthetic genes (FUM) was described in G. moniliformis. We have now conducted a functional analysis of FUM13, a gene in the cluster that is predicted by amino acid sequence similarity to encode a short chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR). Mass spectrometric analysis of metabolites from FUM13 deletion mutants revealed that they produce approximately 10% of wild-type levels of B-series fumonisins as well as two previously uncharacterized compounds. NMR analysis revealed that the new compounds are similar in structure to FB(3) and FB(4) but that they have a carbonyl function rather than a hydroxyl function at carbon atom 3 (C-3). These results indicate that the FUM13 protein catalyzes the reduction of the C-3 carbonyl to a hydroxyl group and are the first biochemical evidence directly linking a FUM gene to a specific reaction during fumonisin biosynthesis. The production of low levels of FB(1), FB(2), FB(3), and FB(4), which have a C-3 hydroxyl, by the FUM13 mutants suggests that G. moniliformis has an additional C-3 carbonyl reductase activity but that this enzyme functions less efficiently than the FUM13 protein.     

Nitrous oxide fluxes and denitrification sensitivity to temperature in Irish pasture soils

Nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from grazed pastures constitute approximately 28% of total global anthropogenic N₂O emissions. The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of inorganic N fertilizer application on fluxes of N₂O, quantify the emission factors (EFs) for a sandy loam soil which is typical of large areas in Ireland and to investigate denitrification sensitivity to temperature. Nitrous oxide flux measurements from a cut and grazed pasture field for 1 year and denitrification laboratory incubation were carried out. The soil pH was 7.3 and had a mean organic C and N content at 0–20 cm of 44.1 and 4.4 g/kg dry weight, respectively. The highest observed peaks of N₂O fluxes of 67 and 38.7 g N₂O‐N per hectare per day were associated with times of application of inorganic N fertilizer. Annual fluxes of N₂O from control and fertilized treatments were 1 and 2.4 kg N₂O‐N per hectare, respectively. Approximately 63% of the annual flux was associated with N fertilizer application. Multiple regression analysis revealed that soil nitrate and the interaction between soil nitrate and soil water content were the main factors controlling N₂O flux from the soil. The derived EF of 0.83% was approximately 66% of the IPCC default EF value of 1.25% as used by the Irish EPA to estimate greenhouse gases (GHGs) in Ireland. The IPCC‐revised EF value is 0.9%. A highly significant exponential regression (r² = 0.98) was found between denitrification and incubation temperature. The calculated Q₁₀ ranged from 4.4 to 6.2 for a temperature range of 10–25 °C and the activation energy was 47 kJ/mol. Our results show that denitrification is very sensitive to increasing temperature, suggesting that future global warming could lead to a significant increase in soil denitrification and consequently N₂O fluxes from soils.     

The physical and chemical properties of the herbicide cinmethylin (SD 95481)

Cinmethylin (SD 95481), is a novel herbicide developed for the selective pre-emergence control of many annual grass weeds in a wide range of temperate and tropical crops. Representing new herbicide chemistry, cinmethylin is in the cineole family. Cinmethylin is a mobile colourless liquid with a boiling point of 313°C under an inert atmosphere at atmospheric pressure. It has a density of 1015 kg m^?3 and a viscosity of 70–90 mPa s, both at 20°C. It is miscible in all proportions with most organic solvents but has a low solubility, 63 mg litre^?1, in water. It has a vapour pressure of 10.2 mPa (20°C) and the vapour pressure/temperature relationship is given by log_e P(Pa)=28.9–9816/T (K). The n-octanol/water partition coefficient is 6850 and soil organic matter/water sorption coefficient (K_om) ranges between 165 and 235 over the three types of soil used in these studies. Cinmethylin is stable in water over the pH range 3–11. Solutions of cinmethylin in water or solvents are reasonably stable to sunlight, though thin films on a quartz surface photooxidise mainly to an ester within 24 h. This rate can be reduced by the addition of photostabilisers or by sorption onto soil surfaces. In an inert atmosphere cinmethylin is stable to high temperatures, though, in air, oxidation occurs at temperatures above 100°C to give the same product as by photodecay.     

Monensin toxicosis in 2 sheep flocks

Several lambs in 2 sheep flocks died suddenly and others were examined for generalized weakness and dyspnea. Postmortem findings were suggestive of degenerative myocardial and skeletal muscle myopathy, which was confirmed histologically. Feed analysis revealed toxic levels of monensin and ionophore toxicosis was diagnosed.     

Controlled study of the efficacy of clavulanic acid-potentiated amoxycillin in the treatment of Chlamydia psittaci in cats

Twenty-four specific pathogen-free cats were inoculated with 3 x 10(3) infectious units of a field isolate of Chlamydia psittaci on to the corneal surface. Seven days later they were assigned randomly to three groups of eight and treated orally for 19 days with either clavulanic acid-potentiated amoxycillin, doxycycline or a placebo. Both treated groups responded rapidly, with a marked reduction in isolation rates and clinical scores which were significantly lower than in the placebo group within two and four days, respectively. After two days the group treated with potentiated amoxycillin had a significantly lower isolation score than the group treated with doxycycline. Forty days after they were infected the clinical signs recurred in five of the eight cats treated with potentiated amoxycillin, but a four-week course of potentiated amoxycillin resulted in a complete clinical recovery with no evidence of a recurrence for six months.